Light Beyond Shadow
by formerAnnie
Summary: Sequel to The Gift That is a Curse. The Galaxy is a completely different place. Having hidden their identities for so long, will Elaina and Kelly still have what it takes to help save what they love...or not? Either way, everything may depend on it.
1. Prologue: Lives of the Outlaws

Thanks Katie Ladmoore, Moonstar 11, and DragonRider2000 for reviewing the last chapter of The Gift That is a Curse!

Ok, hopefully you read the prequel to this story for the sake of: 1) knowing what's going on; and 2) I'm too lazy right now to once again state what the italics, etc. mean… Anyway, I hope you enjoy the start of this story!

Prologue: Lives of the Outlaws

"Qui-Gon Kenobi, hurry up!" Kelly, standing outside of her house, wrapped in a shawl, half-screeched as if she had done that sort of thing dozens of times before that. "You'll be late for the transport this evening if you don't move your lazy, scoundrel-headed, good-for-nothing…"

She was promptly interrupted by the voice of a young man from within the dwelling.

"Relax, Mother!"

As the memories of that line welled up, the body belonging to the voice emerged from the hut, carrying a probably rather heavy sack, though he made it look like paper. Qui-Gon, the son of Ben and Kelly Kenobi, had inherited his father's rich and charming voice, stature, hair, facial structure, sense of honor, and urge to protect; from his mother, however, the boy had gained the chocolate eyes, sarcasm, humor, mechanical savvy, and most other personality traits.

On top of those appearances, there would occasionally emerge qualities formerly attributed to his namesake: the ability to stop and think things through in a difficult situation, the way he would wrap one arm around his waist and rest his chin on the opposite hand when facing a puzzling scenario, and, most importantly, the habit of focusing only on the moment and rarely on the past or future. This was one of the rare times that he concerned himself with what was to come.

Word had reached Qui-Gon's ears during his last visit to the nearest town that the Rebellion was growing more and more in potential by the day. If they truly could do something to stop the Empire, neither parent would stand in their son's way if he wanted to join. The Rebellion would need someone of his skill…without revealing his Jedi abilities, of course.

As he stood in front of Kelly, the woman took a moment to silently observe him as her husband approached. Ben was not nearly the eye-catcher he once was. His hair had grayed to almost complete white, his eyes had lost most of their luster, his proud stance had evaded him for nearly two years, he was not even a fraction as agile, and creases of concern had begun to appear simply from wear and age.

The eighteen years since the beginning of their forced hiding had been much harder than expected, from well-building and sand-people-deterring to simply sensing all of the occurring death and suffering of the countless worlds around them; however, those eighteen years had also been the most joyful, all because of Qui-Gon. Raising him had been the most profound pleasure of any.

By the time Ben reached the woman's side, Qui-Gon had clearly begun to tire of the third silent inspection his mother had put him through that morning.

"Don't worry so much, Kelly," the newcomer chided with a smile. "He'll be careful, won't you, son?"

"Why, of course, Father," was the instant reply.

"Alright, you'd better get going if you don't want to be late."

"Yes, Father, Mother."

With one last embrace, Kelly let the seventeen-year-old head towards his personally designed speeder.

"Qui-Gon! May the Force be with you."

"You too!"

And off he went.

"Well," Kelly lightly commented, "it'll be a bit different without him to yell at about leaving his mechanical gadgets around the house, won't it? Guess it's just you and me again."

At that, Ben turned to his wife, who was trying to hide her sad, sarcastic grin. Eighteen years had treated her well. In build and hair color, the woman had not changed, aside from being a slight bit more muscular from years of hauling, cleaning, hunting, and everything else involved in their solitary way of life. Also, aside from one or two permanent, slight creases of concern on her forehead, Kelly's general appearance had stayed young and beautiful, though her eyes didn't change colors nearly as much. If anything, she looked to be twenty-five instead of twenty, which was hardly much of a difference.

Comparatively, the husband and wife looked more like father and daughter, but to them, it didn't matter. Their love was the kind that couldn't be diminished by appearance or circumstance. They had learned from experience to appreciate the good things when they came.

"Ben," she went on, "what is it that you see in the future?"

"Well now, darling," the husband replied with an arm around the woman's shoulders, "I try not to think of it; however, I feel that the day when hope emerges is closer than we have dared to imagine in a long time."

"They're out there, waiting to emerge very soon…Luke, Leia…Elaina. Much will change." The solemn mood was broken by the convulsive howls of sand people not even half a mile away. Though they had made Kelly a nervous wreck for the first few months, they had eventually just become a nuisance. "Ooh, if only I had not left my lightsaber in the house," she growled, an old flame of mischief flickering. "I'd teach them a lesson that would leave them limping for years."

"Haven't you caused their kind enough harm for a lifetime?" Suddenly, a pained look came across Kelly's face, as if reliving an incident best left forgotten. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that…"

"No, Ben…you're right about most of it; however, it wasn't enough for a lifetime. It was enough for a hundred generations."

A moment later, both of them cleared their throats.

"Anyway, I have a surprise for you: a breakfast fit for a queen."

"You?! Making breakfast?! Humph…that's a new one."

Her easy-coming smile at last broke the ice of what could have become a rather uneasy conversation.

--

"Alright…now, one more question and I'll publicly announce your education complete and the other senators will have no more reasons to think poorly of you. Who were the Enduring Warriors?"

"The Enduring Warriors were a group of long-lived, powerful humanoids, mostly females, whose generations were randomly spread throughout the centuries. The first known of their kind were mostly disregarded and only lightly referenced in historical libraries as having 'possible potential'. They were not even somewhat accepted by the Jedi or the Sith until generations later, when it was realized that they proved to be exceptional advisers, fighters, and Force-users. In fact, something worth note happened any time one would appear (the Sith had one on their side during the last peak of their rule).

"The most prominent more popularly were Sheba Bladerunner and Turanga Silvereyes, her teacher. When Sheba turned to the dark side, the two friends fought a ferocious duel in which Turanga died. Sheba's fate was never truly revealed. After several centuries of no Enduring Warriors appearing, two of the most powerful and influential came forth: Kelly Skywalker and Elaina Jinn. For years, they fought together in the midst of the Jedi; however, at the beginning of the Empire, they found their power to not be strong enough in different ways to stop the inevitable." The listener paused in her creation of the speaker's high bun, waiting expectantly for the finish. "No one really knows how long they could live, because all of them died of unnatural causes before they reached a hundred."

"And what does the Empire teach of them in their classes?"

"I thought you were only asking one question?"

"Consider it as one question with an 'a' and a 'b'."

The eighteen-year-old sighed.

"The Empire states most of the same things concerning the Enduring Warriors' age and such; however, it says that those who were not with the dark side were traitors, murderers, and thieves. The worst of all were the last two: Elaina, who rejected her destiny completely, and, worst of all, Kelly, who defected at the last moment."

"Perfect," the older girl said, strolling to a nearby couch, sitting exhaustedly, and running her fingers through the choppy, blond streaked hair. "Leia, you're an even quicker learner than I was at your age."

"'At my age'…you couldn't be old enough to say that!" the princess exclaimed.

"I was older than your mother."

"You couldn't have been older than her!"

"Your real one…"

There was a slight pause. When Leia had been about ten years old, after the queen's death, she had begun having visions in her sleep of a woman she swore to have never seen before then. As the first person the girl always went to for guidance, the bodyguard had given the advice to tell no one of the ability. Of course, the present senator had insisted on knowing who the woman was and it went from there…

"Did she really live during the reign of the Old Republic?"

"Oddly enough, you were born within days of the emergence of the Empire. You're smart enough to figure that out without me needing to tell you."

Clearly, Elaina's level and emotionless voice always used when discussing an awkward subject was getting on the princess' nerves.

"Come on now, Elaina! Can't you give me an answer better than that?!"

A slight smile graced the twenty-five-to-thirty-appearing face.

"I was two years older than she. We never got along until shortly before she died. Leia, can we veer away from that subject? You've asked me about it nearly a dozen times this week."

"Oh fine! Be that way! Sometimes you're just as stubborn as a…a…"

"Hmm, let me give an example: a Wookie?"

"Sure…"

One year later…

I know, I know, it was short…but all of my prologues are shorter than my actual chapters, so…there's my excuse! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the start of this story and don't forget to review and vote on the poll that I still have on the profile (and probably will indefinitely). Ok…thanks for reading!


	2. Reunion

Thanks DragonRider2000, Moonstar 11, Katie Ladmoore, and lizzy-1809 for your reviews!

I apologize to everyone for taking SO long in updating; however, between editing confusion and being at a music academy for two weeks, along with everyday life, it was impossible to keep up; however, I will hopefully be able to soon start back up with my usual updating schedule (one chapter every week or so…although you may get a few updates this weekend). Thank you for your patience!

Idina Menzel's "I Stand" goes with the 1st scene and Avril Lavigne's "Innocence" is with the 3rd and 4th…

Reunion

The somewhat small rebel ship quickly dropped out of hyperspace. Only a moment later, a two-person shuttle emerged from the bay and sped towards the larger craft it was meeting. At the halfway point, the pilot of the miniature transport hit the com link to contact her previous post.

"The ship is yours, Commander. I'll see you back at the base."

"No problem, Aylana," the man at the other end replied nonchalantly.

"Hey, what did I say about office hours?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"That's better."

As she neared the docking bay, Elaina tentatively reached down to the palm-sized case attached to her brown leather belt for the tenth time since she had succeeded in snatching the Death Star plans from the idiotic clone guards when they weren't looking. Getting captured by the diminutive Empire transport ship housing the plans had been one thing. Getting out, on the other hand, hadn't been so easy. Sadly, before she had succeeded in setting the vessel's self-destruct in order to escape with her impeccably timed rescue, one of the clones had switched on a short-burst distress signal.

The moment her craft landed in the Blockade Runner, it jumped into hyperspace, bent on reaching Tatooine, picking up a few desperately-needed passengers, and returning to Alderaan. With a sigh of relief, the girl then rose from her seat and trotted down the ramp into the shuttle bay, instantly being met by Princess Leia and a few stiff-necked bodyguards.

"I assume you retrieved the plans then, Aylana?" the brunette queried in an official manner.

"Yes, your Highness," Elaina answered with equal resolve, handing the small device to her charge prior to pointedly staring at the nearby men. "Thank you for reserving my post, boys; but do you mind?" Clearly getting the point, they instantly sauntered off. Meanwhile, Leia was marveling at the plans-holder.

"To think that this little piece of metal caused all this trouble."

"That didn't cause the trouble, Leia. People did. How was the meeting? What privileges have they taken from the common folks, now?"

"As usual, they voted exactly as the Emperor directed. Elaina, it's not good. Rebel followers are to be shot on sight. Any of them with rank are to be captured and handed over to the Empire officials for interrogation and processing."

"Processing…more like execution. Well, we'd better avoid capture then, shouldn't we? How far are we from Tatooine?"

"With the modified hyperspace engine we salvaged, we should be there in only a few minutes."

Having concluded their conversation, both princess and bodyguard silently strolled down the hall.

Generally, their garments were the same: pure white with flowing long sleeves and flat-heeled boots; however, they did have several differences. Instead of a turtleneck, Elaina's neckline semi-traditionally hung loosely from her shoulders, though the cloth was, of course, not even somewhat revealing. Instead of a dress, the older girl's attire consisted of an elegant shirt, previously described, and loose pants, all of the same fabric. Also, instead of a silver belt, hers was of a rough leather material. Based on a style she had seen several times during her travels, it swooped from the left side down to her right thigh, where it was further secured around the appendage. A banned Jedi-designed laser pistol sat in the holster.

The moment the two women stepped onto the bridge, a concussion racked the ship.

"Status, Captain!" Elaina yelled. She didn't get an answer for several seconds.

"There's an Imperial Stardestroyer on our tail. It started firing as soon as we dropped out of hyperspace!"

"So we arrived at Tatooine?!"

"Yes, but…"

"Thank you, Captain, that's all." She then rushed over to Leia, who was habitually trying to take command of the situation. "Princess, I have to get you out of here! We can take my shuttle."

As they retraced their steps back down the halls, Leia argued,

"Elaina, I have a duty to ensure the safety of this ship and these people."

"Princess, you have the duty to protect the plans and I have the duty to protect you. Let's go!"

Another blast forced them to cling to the walls in order to not be hurled to the floor. The second she recovered, the bodyguard grabbed Leia's wrist, dragging her into the nearby adjacent hallway with several side rooms…where they encountered R2-D2.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the nearly-nineteen-year-old queried mischievously.

"Do it. I'll watch for any unwelcome company."

Kneeling down, Elaina reached out with the Force. Sensing nearby life-signs was one of the few Jedi traits that she had not allowed to fall out of practice. She could still lift most things from a distance, guard her mind, and find seclusion in meditation; however, most people upon first meeting would not even think twice and assume she was simply a trained, loyal bodyguard. The poor former Knight had not even seen her father for several years. Back to the present, Elaina concentrated on any warning signs of incoming stormtroopers as Leia recorded a message to Obi-Wan.

"General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

"My lady!" Elaina yelled suddenly, bolting to her feet and racing to the princess just as she finished her message, but before she turned it off. "Prepare yourself…they are coming."

After shoving her charge into the nearby alcove, Elaina realized that R2's projector was still running. With a moment of hesitation, she looked towards the oncoming noises prior to switching it off. As the little droid wheeled away, the girl then joined Leia and unsheathed her pistol.

"This isn't exactly how I planned this day," the younger woman lightly said, getting her own weapon from a case nearby.

"Leia, if I am gunned down…no, no matter what…shoot and run. Do you understand me?"

Unlike past women she had advised in battle years before, Leia simply glared at her for a moment prior to nodding her head in a short, jerky fashion. She may have been a refined princess, but Leia was always a stubborn warrior at heart…a trait which ran wild in the family.

The moment the clones appeared, Elaina rushed from her hiding place and began strategically shooting her enemies. Eight downed armored bodies later, they panicked and shot her in the shoulder. With one last feisty look, Leia finally made a run for it, but the clones had already given orders for stun only…and just as she stood, her princess was shot with a stunner.

"Freeze!" the apparent leader ordered when the girl bent down to hopefully reclaim her weapon. Reluctantly, Elaina abandoned her query, stood, and cradled the throbbing arm. "They'll be alright. Inform Lord Vader we have prisoners." She tried holding back a groan upon hearing that name.

"Definitely not my day…"

--

"Let me do all the talking, my lady. I have a feeling that…"

"Oh, for once spare me of your feelings, Aylana," the princess growled, getting a shove from one of the clones behind her. Leia had unfortunately awakened in a rather bad mood and had been taking it out on Elaina for a grand total of five minutes.

The sight her eyes fell upon a moment later caused the girl to greatly wish she could blend into the wall.

"Lord Vader," Leia addressed their captor in her usual I'm-better-than-you manner, "I should have known. Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit for this, when they hear you've attacked a diplomatic…"

"Don't play games with me, Your Highness," he promptly interrupted. "You weren't on any mercy mission this time. You passed directly through a restricted system. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I can tell you that no 'plans' were sent to this ship from any planet. I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan..."

Again, Vader cut her short.

"You're a part of the Rebel Alliance...and a traitor. Take her away!"

Of course avoiding a confrontation with the black-masked creature-of-death was impossible! Why would anything be that easy? For some odd reason half of the clones had taken Leia away, while the other half simply guarded her as she leaned against the wall in a hopefully-casual-looking slouch.

"Hey, Vader, buddy!" she said with a plastered smile, looking straight up at the black tower approaching her. "Long time no see!"

"I thought I felt your presence on this ship. It only seems that I was right."

"Not right about everything, though!" Could she keep up this idle chatter?...good question. "The plans were not transmitted from a planet. I was undercover as one of the princess' bodyguards. My goal was to reach Alderaan and steal a ship. You want more? Too bad…you're not getting it."

Now, she was really looking up.

"You will not be so cocky when I am finished with you, Mistress Jinn. By the time…"

It was Elaina's turn to interrupt.

"'Mistress'…I haven't gone by that title in a while…ever since you helped the Emperor take over and those of us who were left were forced into hiding…"

"Do not test me, Elaina…"

"It's Aylana."

"Insolence…take her away!"

And away she went.

--

"So, Kelly…how's life with that crazy old man you call a husband?"

The recently-arrived guest sitting at the Lars' table with a cold drink in her hand laughed at the traditional question. For some reason, though they practically drove Ben away when he dropped by on great occasion, the little family always welcomed her…without giving away her true identity to Luke, obviously.

"Pretty much the same, Owen," she replied.

"Are ya still working on that confounded well?"

"Owen!" Beru scolded as she entered the room. "You should know better than to ask silly questions like that!"

"Anyway…what's the special occasion, Kelly? Are you tired of the hermit's life?"

Before replying, the girl did her best to muffle a laugh as Beru gave the back of her husband's head a nice whack.

"No, Ben just wanted me to get out of the house for a while. He may enjoy the solitary life himself, but he is not especially fond of me taking a liking to it."

"So, I take it you're spending the night," the other woman stated. "I'll not have any guest of mine be caught by those confounded sand people in the dark."

"If you insist…"

"I do."

"So, how's Luke? The last time I saw him…over a year ago, now…it looked like he would spring up into a rather nice young man."

"Why don't you ask him yourself? When I was outside, it looked as if he was headed this direction."

"Well, speak of a Hutt. Luke!"

The young man in question had entered with his head down, concentrating on something apparently interesting on the floor; therefore, he had not noticed the extra occupant of the kitchen. Upon hearing her, he jerked his eyes toward the speaker and a smile quickly overtook the puzzled frown.

"Kelly? I haven't seen you in ages! What happened?"

The brunette grinned before replying. She had a love/hate relationship with the fibs she was forced to give her actual nephew.

"Well, there's been a lot of extra work for me around the house ever since my brother left for the Academy…ha! And I thought it was hard when my dear big sister left for the Alliance!"

"You mean the Rebel Alliance?!" The boy always got excited at even a whiff of news from outside their little system. "And I didn't know that you had a sister."

With a withering look from Owen, the girl decided to backtrack.

"I don't like to talk about it much. For all I know, she could be dead."

"Well, what about Qui-Gon at the Academy?! Have you heard anything from him?"

"He isn't allowed much time for simple transmissions. He's kept too busy with his training."

"So Kelly," Owen interrupted curtly, "I was wondering if, since you have all of this extra work without your siblings around, you would consider investing in a droid to help out around the house. I think the Jawas are coming by this afternoon to show us some of their more recent finds."

"Since I know not to start an argument with you, Owen, I'll submit to looking at those piles of junk, but, in my experience, all the Jawas sell is rubbish."

--

Surprisingly enough, the Jawas arrived on time in their creaking sandcrawler and began unloading their goods as Kelly and her host approached them; however, she only looked at one before walking away to the garage, leaving Owen to shake his head and chuckle. Personally, the former Jedi found it far more enjoyable to repair the family's busted trinkets than anything else.

Several minutes into her tinkering, Luke entered the building, leading two droids. Now, what seemed familiar about them? It couldn't be…

Skipping introductions, the boy went single-mindedly into preparing an oil bath for the golden robot. Kelly simply respected the fact that he didn't want any disturbances. Of course several minutes later, his anger had built up nearly to the release point (even though he was just nonchalantly playing around with a model of some craft) which, understandably, concerned the woman.

"Luke," she said casually, "if you need to talk, just talk!"

"It just isn't fair!" he whined, reminding her of a ten-year-old. "Oh, Biggs is right…I'm never gonna get out of here!"

"Is there anything I might do to help?" the bathing droid suddenly put in, luckily easing some of the intensity of the room.

"Well, not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest, or teleport me off this rock."

For the next of conversation, Kelly focused on the blender she was fixing…that is until the jabbering droid said something worth note.

"And I am C-3P0, human-cyborg relations, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2."

Again, she ignored what was said, trying to not drop her tools in shock. All those years, and suddenly the two robots she had worked with countless times had somehow just ended up on the little piece of rock?! Impossible! Unless… Again, a phrase caught her attention, though she hid the interest well.

"You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?!"

"That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, sir."

"Have you been in many battles?" She couldn't help but laugh out loud at Luke's enthusiasm, receiving a bit of a death-glare.

"Several, I think. Actually, there's not much to tell. I'm not much more than an interpreter, and not very good at telling stories. Well, not at making them interesting, anyways."

The young man's interest in that was stalled by his work in cleaning R2.

"Well, my little friend, you've got something jammed in here real good. Were you on a cruiser or…" He was cut mid-sentence as the fragment came loose abruptly, sending head over heels; however, that was not the occurrence which caused Kelly to drop her tools. It was, in fact, a foot-tall hologram of a young woman.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi," it begged. "You're my only hope." Just before the message the message repeated, someone from outside the range of the hologram caught the recorded woman's attention.

She couldn't take it anymore! Years of false hope and, just as she had settled into life, the summons had possibly come. While charging out of the garage, Kelly thought of only one person who could receive the rest of that message. The question was: how would she get it to him without arousing the suspicion of Luke?

"Luke! Kelly!" Beru's voice called from the house. Kelly knew better than to ignore that summons.

A short time later, the girl was once again sitting at the table, accepting gratefully a drink from her friend when Luke trotted in and seated himself. Clearly, the boy just couldn't keep his trap shut…however, knowing how Owen would pitch a fit if she involved herself in a conversation like that, Kelly simply concentrated on her food and had a separate chat with Beru.

"So, my uncle," she began, though the other woman knew full well that 'uncle' meant husband, "says that we might be moving soon."

"Oh, that's terrible!" Beru exclaimed over the males' arguing. "It's been such a joy having you drop by every now and again. And that's a shame about Qui-Gon, too. He and Luke were practically inseparable!"

Kelly laughed through Luke's negotiating. The two women had turned ignoring a loud secondary conversation into an art.

"I concur. There wasn't a single time my brother didn't come home with some outlandish story, bleeding, or both."

Finally, a pause in their own talk left room for listening to the other one.

"But it's a whole 'nother year!" the boy whined.

"Look, it's only one more season."

"Yeah, that's what you said last year when Biggs, Tank, and even Qui-Gon left."

"Where are you going?" Beru asked went Luke headed towards the exit.

"It looks like I'm going nowhere. I have to finish cleaning those droids."

Again, Kelly contemplated until another point of interest attracted her thoughts.

"Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him."

At that moment, Kelly rose herself and began ascending the stairs, but stopped to hear the last part of the debate. First was Owen.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Well, what if I said that he was too much like Kelly? She's turned out to be like a sister to me."

"That would be just as bad, if not worse."

Thanks for reading! Please rate, review, etc.


	3. Service Above Self

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and Moonstar 11 for your reviews!

Van Morrison's "Moondance" goes w/ scenes 1-4 (It's a bit of a…contradiction, but what can I say? I had an urge for the…unique) and Wynonna Judd's "Heaven Help Me" is w/ scene 5.

Service Above Self

The dream was all too familiar.

She, Ben, and Luke were running towards a strange ship with some strange man and a Wookie. She knew that it would momentarily skip to some other point in time she would rather not think about…so Kelly woke herself up with a jerk.

"Oh!" the nearby droid exclaimed when the girl bolted upright on the cot she usually used in the garage. "Oh, miss, I'm so sorry! I did not mean to wake you. I'm simply so worried about little R2."

"What about him?" Kelly asked drowsily, flopping back down on the bed.

"Oh…did Master Luke not tell you? Poor little R2 got it in his rusty head that he needed to go and find 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' and that he knew where he was going. According to Master Luke, we'll be leaving to find him in the morning; however, I do still worry."

At the mention of the name 'Obi-Wan', the woman flipped out of the bed, putting her worn boots on in a hurry, and rushed out to prepare her speeder for departing. Once done with that, she hopped in, but looked back at the baffled robot who had followed her.

"3PO, tell Luke, when he gets here, that I apologize for my abrupt leaving, but something came up."

A few seconds later, she was flying home.

--

"So uncivilized," the heavily injured woman grumbled as the two clones dragging her let her collapse onto the floor of the little cell prior to heading towards the door. "Oh please, waitress, may I have another?" In quick response to that, one of them paused to kick her in side before exiting. "I was kidding! I also figured thugs for a good beating would be outdated by now."

Refusing to put any effort into crawling onto the 'bed', Elaina simply propped herself against it and tossed her head back, allowing the lights to dazzle her eyes. The tears came, but whether from the light, pain from the manual beating and gunshot wound, sorrow at her failure, or hysterics from the probable concussion that came in a package with the bleeding head injury…she didn't know! It was all a blur.

Obi-Wan and Kelly had probably seen the message and were trying to figure a way off that rock they called home. They would be captured and Vader would win…piece of cake!

"About time you showed up," she growled, opening her closed eyes and tipping her head back into proper position.

"And I was just thinking that you had given up your habit of getting captured and beaten up by your enemies."

"Well, at least you gained a sense of humor after…dying."

"No, seriously," the luminous figure of Qui-Gon Jinn sitting on the 'bed' argued, "it's been years since you actually got yourself captured…not on purpose, that is." With that, Elaina experimentally shoved herself onto the metal shelf across from her father. At least two bruised ribs, several abrasions, a few scratches and scrapes from being dragged, plus the probable concussion, though she couldn't tell how bad it was… "You definitely did a number on yourself."

"I don't need your opinion to know I'm in pain."

"Very well…I'll just leave."

"Hey! Beaten lady with a concussion talking! Not everything I say is going to be rational."

"That's what I'm worried about when it comes to interrogation."

She sent an annoyed look in the apparition's direction.

"I said 'rational', not 'truthful'. The last time I had a concussion while captured, I came up with a whole story about banthas that had learned space travel and how the sand people hitched a ride and were terrorizing the galaxy."

Pause.

"Alright, perhaps my worries are groundless."

"Quite…"

A few minutes went by without any more conversation.

"Anyway…another reason I came by was to tell you that R2 is in the process of getting the message to Obi-Wan and Kelly."

"Really? Interesting. Anything else?"

"Not really."

"Ok, then."

--

"Ben!" Kelly yelled, bursting into the house directly after putting her speeder away. A loud crash from further within the dwelling told her that someone was home. "Ben," she panted, using the doorway to stop her from barreling into the room her husband was in, attempting to replace the earthen crockery he had just knocked over from his surprise at Kelly's arrival. "I told you yesterday that I still haven't made any pie, so don't try getting into it."

"Oh," the man stuttered, "Kelly, what are you doing back so early? It's not even…it is only…midday."

"I got back early. Has anything suspicious happened?"

"Other than you bursting in here like a mad-woman…no. Why?"

"It's happening. Ben, Luke is on his way, along with our summons."

"Aren't you jumping to conclusions, Kelly?"

"No…" The statement didn't have any effect. "Listen, Ben. A group of Jawas came with their usual plunder to the Lars' and with them…came 3PO and R2. R2 had a message, but he was able to hold back probably nearly all of it from Luke. I think it was from Leia."

"Are you sure…without a doubt?" By that point, Ben was standing in front of the woman expectantly, a lost fire showing some returning spark.

"Absolutely…Ben, this is it. We can quit hiding like cowards! We'll help destroy the Empire! The new hope is ready to emerge."

For a moment, the former Jedi Master stood tall, looking as if he was ready for anything. Then, apparent reality hit him and he sat back down at the stone table with a hand supporting his head, resigned.

"Kelly, our time is over…at least mine is. You know this."

"No!" she quietly exclaimed, kneeling down in front of the man. "It doesn't have to be that way! Not all futures are etched in stone…and even stone can be changed over time."

"Time is one thing that we no longer have an excess of, darling."

"So…you're telling me that this is it?"

"There are many possible outcomes of this conflict, Kelly. We only know one."

A few hours later, the couple sensed a familiar presence somewhat close to their dwelling and Ben went out to investigate. Kelly remained behind for a few minutes, preparing a light meal. Once done with that, she trotted out.

--

As he regained consciousness, the first thing Luke became aware of was the pounding of his head. Next, was a familiar voice beyond the blinding sunlight.

"Rest easy, son. You've had a busy day. You're fortunate you're still in one piece."

"Ben?!" the boy exclaimed as his eyes adjusted to see the old man kneeling down beside him. "Ben Kenobi?! Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"The Jundland wastes are not to be traveled lightly. Tell me, young Luke, what brings you out this far?"

"Oh, this little droid," he replied, motioning to the approaching R2. "I think he's searching for his former master. I've never seen such devotion in a droid before. He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is he a relative of yours? Do you know who he's talking about?"

Even as he spoke, Ben sat down on a stone near to the one Luke had planted himself on, looking as if struck by lightning. For a moment, he remained that way until he himself finally spoke.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi…Obi-Wan… Now that's a name I have not heard in a long time…and long time."

"I think my uncle knew him," he obliviously opinionated. "He said he was dead."

"Oh, he's not dead," the man quickly argued, apparently recovered, looking up. "…not yet."

"You know him?!"

"Well of course I know him! He's me." Luke could have fallen off of his seat. "I haven't gone by the name Obi-Wan since…oh, before you were born."

"Then the droid does belong to you."

"Don't seem to remember ever owning a droid…very interesting."

"Actually, R2 belonged to a family friend," a new voice joined in. When Luke looked in the direction of the speaker, he saw a familiar cloaked figure approaching. As Kelly tossed the hood back, she concluded, "We simply haven't seen this comical piece of junk in a few years."

R2 beeped his complaints and, before Luke could voice his own surprise at his friend's appearance, Ben interrupted.

"I think we'd better get indoors. The sand people are easily startled, but they will soon be back…and in far greater numbers."

Ten minutes later, Luke had been seated down in Ben's home and Kelly was handing him a cup of "stim tea", her "sister's specialty," as he worked on 3PO.

"No," he was arguing, "my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter."

"That's what your uncle told you," the old man stated simply. "He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Suddenly, his interest had been peaked.

"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father."

"I wish I'd known him."

"He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend, which reminds me…"

But Luke cut him off with his questions.

"Well, how do you know Kelly?" he queried, directing his attention to the girl trying to retreat back to the kitchen. "I thought you said you lived with your uncle. Is Ben that uncle?"

After plopping down in a nearby chair, she exchanged glances with Ben prior to replying.

"Well…not really. I sort of stretched the truth on that you see. I'm not…well, I actually…"

As she began stuttering, Ben once again took over.

"Luke, have you ever heard of the Enduring Warriors?"

"No," was the matter-of-fact reply. Luke hoped to get a few answers from this chain of thought. Instead, the two other occupants of the room simply looked at each other again. After a moment, Ben rose from his seat and headed for a chest.

"Then, that is a story saved for another time. As I was saying…"

--

Kelly evacuated herself from the room as Ben began the lightsaber introduction. Once in the kitchen however, the carefree emotions were split in two by horrifying realization and she collapsed silently on the floor. No longer would she simply be able to live in peace, sheltered from the power of her enemies; the times of danger had returned and she could do nothing to stop it. By the time Kelly composed herself, snatched her lightsaber from the table, and reentered the adjoining room, Luke was continuing the display of typical Skywalker curiosity.

"The Force?" he queried.

"Well," Ben casually replied, "the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." Everyone's attention was then drawn to the little droid. "Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend…and where you come from."

"I saw part of the message, but…"

"I seem to have found it."

Of course, the woman would have gone on to explain who R2 was; however, the sight of the projected hologram practically stole the words from her mouth. The foot-tall woman had familiar dark hair and eyes and was wearing a rather simple white dress. The fact was: she looked very much like someone Kelly had been very close to.

"General Kenobi," it began, "years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is out most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."

Suddenly, the figure's attention was drawn elsewhere.

"My lady!" a voice called from outside the hologram's sight range. The summons was followed by the appearance of a shorter woman of early middle-aged years with short, light hair. "Prepare yourself. They are coming." After shoving the first speaker off-screen, she seemed to just realize the projector's presence. With slight hesitation and a glance to the side, she switched off the recorder.

Ben was distinctly watching his wife's glazed eyes as he spoke to the obviously smitten boy.

"You must learn the ways of the Force if you are to come with me to Alderaan."

"Alderaan?!" Luke laughingly exclaimed, coming out of the twitter pated trance. "I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home! It's late; I'm in for it as it is."

"We need your help, Luke. She needs your help," the old man pointed out, nodding towards where the hologram had been standing, "…they both do. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it!"

Kelly allowed a loud scoff to escape her lips. If he hated it, what did she feel? What was greater than hate? Upon seeing her stormy scowl, Ben gave the girl a kind-hearted smile that sent her storming outside. How could he be so calm when he knew just as much as she?!

Her emotions were running wilder than they had for nearly two decades by the time she gasped a breath full of stinging hot desert air. The question was: could she live through the next few days…or years?

"Kelly?" her favorite voice queried from behind the woman as crunching steps approached on the parched ground.

"I'm alright...Be…Obi-Wan. I…I just needed a minute," she managed to get out while limiting the emotion in her voice, hugging herself tightly and trying to ignore the gentle arm around her shoulders.

"No, you're not, Kelly," he argued. "You haven't been for some time, now."

"Stay here!" the former Jedi cried suddenly, spinning toward her husband in his loose grip. "At least stay somewhere safe. I can't lose you!...again."

"Calm yourself, dear. What will happen, will happen. We can't change that…and please don't argue with that right now. We must accept it."

Defeated, Kelly stared mournfully at the man she still loved as much as the day she confessed the sentiments to her sister so long ago.

"Ben, Kelly!" the voice of their nephew called as the boy bounded out of the house. "3P0's fixed and ready to go. I just have to get my stuff back into the speeder and…Kelly, you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, Luke, I'm perfectly fine," she stuttered, stepping back into her home for probably the last time. "Give me a few minutes to collect what we'll need and we can be off."

'What we'll need'?! That was the understatement of a lifetime! An internal conversation proceeded as Kelly grabbed a set of travel clothes and stepped into the bedroom. They had lived in that place for nineteen years and they were simply supposed instantly uproot their lives and go back to the old lifestyle?! Well, it was what they had been waiting for…but why did it have to happen just as they settled into it?

The questions would have to wait, unfortunately. The galaxy needed her and she would do anything to save it from what she had helped begin.

Thanks for reading and as always please review and vote!


	4. Memento Mori

Thanks Moonstar 11, Katie Ladmoore, and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Just to let you know, "memento mori" means "remember you shall die"…in other words, it's a reminder of mortality. :)

Josh Groban's "Remember Me" is w/ scenes 3-6 (sorry if it seems off...I just like the song and it kinda went with the plot. :)) enjoy!...

Memento Mori

"I must admit that I am tiring of your stubbornness, Mistress Jinn; however, I will ask you again: how did the plans come into your hands?"

Playfully pursing her lips, the small, prone figure on the metal grate floor simply stared up at the machine-man, whose towering mass was silhouetted by the overhead light he was blocking as he stood right next to his victim. Following a whole hour of all sorts of creative tortures with machines, the Force, and thugs, all Vader had acquired from Elaina was nonsensical prattling and hysterical laughter.

Finally, after a moment, the woman showed the first sign of half-lucidity. Her bloodshot eyes looked as if they were about to flood with tears, though no excessive moisture was present; her cracked lips seemed on the verge of quivering with emotion; her finely-figured, but modestly diminutive bosom slowly raised and lowered with more and more apparent effort.

"Why, Anakin?" she asked weakly, barely above a whisper.

"Ah!" Darth Vader exclaimed, backing up to the wall and discreetly leaning against it so as to not appear weak. Interrogating Elaina had been even more taxing than predicted. "Have you finally decided to play along with my rules?"

"Alright," she nonchalantly stated, hopping up from the floor as if nothing was wrong and holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture. "A few of your tin men decided that they didn't like you guys so much; so, they tried running away with the plans after faking their disappearance due to the Alliance. I got to them before you even found out about them, got the plans, and got away…for a while that is."

"Hmm," he smirked, grinning behind his mask. "And where are they now?"

"Ha! Nice try, bozo." With that, she plopped crossed-legged back onto the floor, pain ghosting the surface of her face prior to noticing the attention she was getting from her enormous enemy. Of all things, she hissed at him.

"I don't have time for this. I have a summit to attend. You meanwhile can return to your cell and think over my previous offer: cooperate and you shall go free, don't and you die."

"Okey dokey."

--

Tarkin had just ordered him to stop choking that disrespectful what's-his-face. What was he supposed to do?! He had to take frustration out on someone and Elaina was the source of it; therefore, torturing her had not helped his position in the least.

"This bickering is pointless," Tarkin stated. Vader almost thought the man was referring to his inner conflict…almost. "Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke."

"Back on that annoying little subject, though, Vader," one of the more 'respectable' officers addressed him. "How are the interrogations going?"

That was the one question he did not want to answer. As of late, he had been feeling more like a simple pawn. Soon, they would pay.

"The princess is strong and stubborn, but I will quickly learn her weakness," the Sith replied stoically.

"What about this 'Aylana Jinn' the entire senate was raving about since her first visit with the princess there? Is she a threat? Does she know anything about the Rebels, is she just a hired hand and unaware of the princess' dealings, or is she high in their ranks with extensive knowledge of their whereabouts and proceedings? How dangerous is she? What is she responsible for? These are the things we need to know."

Seconds passed in silence before the former Jedi Knight broke it.

"'Aylana Jinn' as you know her…is more perilous than any of you can imagine."

"Have you been able to procure any information from her?" the officer insisted. He wondered how resistant the minion would be to a Force choke. Sadly, Tarkin interrupted his thoughts.

"Unfortunately, this…bodyguard…received a slight head-wound in the process of a more…primitive method of interrogation." Room-wide confusion was evident. "The more…civilized ways were ineffective. We have tried most everything, but it seems quantity, not quality, is what will break this upstart rebel. Vader is on the verge of a breakthrough with her. Soon after, she'll be at the direct mercy of the Emperor."

"Until then, she needs to be properly contained, if my sources are correct."

"Oh, believe me, she can hardly tell a ceiling from a wall, let alone cause trouble. She won't last, even in the best of circumstances for her. No matter…we have prepared a special method of final interrogation."

"And what's that?"

"Something we have yet to test on anyone. Aylana will be the first…and I quite look forward to seeing the long-term results of this new invention."

--

Elaina lay on the floor in her cell, still sprawled out in the position she had been dropped in by the guards. Everything hurt. Her head was pounding, eyes heavy, breath shallow, vision blurred… Suddenly, however, the girl heard a hissing sound followed by the room fogging up. What was that odd smell?

Apparently, she really was losing it. As that thought teased the edge of her mind, she began drifting off. Then, she heard someone calling desperately calling out her name. Darkness surrounded her, only to be replaced by something else: fog, forest, cold, moisture.

"Where am I?" she asked the mist, not that anyone was there to answer. What kind of a half-witted assumption…

"About time you showed up, it is."

???????

"Excuse me?" Elaina nervously queried. Suddenly she was feeling rather out of her element and promptly tripped over a log that hadn't been there before, landing on her rear with a muffled grunt. "Why do the weird things always happen to me?"

"Always?" the throaty voice persisted, earning a quickly-regretted shake of the head from Elaina. "Why do you say 'always'? All Jedi, learn to content themselves with the present they must. After nearly half a century, learned that you should have; but you did not."

"Oh, go suck on a lemon, whoever you are."

"Lemon? What's a lemon?" The woman nearly screamed. Upon turning her head, Elaina had come face to face with her former Master, Yoda. "How did you get here, anyhow?" the little green ancient went on casually.

"I…wha…here? I have no idea what you're talking about, but, as far as I'm concerned, I'm stuck in my worst nightmare, being tortured…you pick."

"Hmm," was all he said. In turn, Elaina stared at the little creature, wondering what to say next, if anything at all.

--

As her husband and nephew examined the damage, Kelly sat in the speeder, staring at the sandcrawler, cleaning her fingernails, and wondering when Luke was going to put two and two together. He had to eventually, right? Finally, the boy came rushing to the craft, followed by a trail of protests from Ben. The old man must have known that she could control the kid, right? Sure…

--

"Luke," his companion persisted, slowly approaching the devastated teenager. "Luke, you couldn't have done anything."

He promptly swiveled around to face her, jaw set. Convincing him of anything rational would be impossible. Of course, going on a suicide mission to rescue a beautiful princess and her sworn bodyguard wasn't exactly a rational idea in the least.

"Don't you dare tell me that!" he exclaimed with a crazed tone. Kelly meanwhile absent-mindedly looked over his shoulder towards the destruction. With great effort, it would take a month to fix the house and replant any crops they had started, and a lifetime to recover from the deaths of Owen and Beru.

That was what her eyes were truly drawn to. She had known that couple since some time before they were married and had become quite attached to them. "You claimed to have been a friend; now you look like you don't even care, even with that staring you in the face," he went on, motioning towards the carnage behind him. "You never told me you were a Jedi Knight, or that Ben was your uncle! What else have you hidden from me? Why did you pretend to be my friend?"

Tired of playing games, Kelly abruptly swung her fist around, catching Luke off guard with the surprising force of it. When he finally managed to recover his wits and flip back onto his back, the boy discovered another shocker in his face: an engaged lightsaber and a rather irritated woman. She burst out laughing however when he grabbed for the one at his belt and engaged that.

"Hahahahahehehe!" she giggled, though still holding her weapon steady, making Luke seeming rather foolish with his awkwardly gripped defense. "Do you really think that you can beat me in a dual, Luke Skywalker?! A master of the offensive arts, versus a beginner padawan? Come on! You judge me for my morals and yet you don't even realize that I am the only one who can help you gain justice for your aunt and uncle." He still didn't get it. "The Empire destroyed your life. The only thing you have left is what Ben and I have to offer, which is a chance to join the Rebel Alliance."

Finally, he lowered the lightsaber! He could poke somebody's eye out with that! After a moment of silence, the boy hesitantly spoke.

"Qui-Gon didn't go to the academy, did he?"

With a completely out-of-place cheesy grin, Kelly helped him up and walked back to the speeder.

"My son and my sister are both part of the Alliance. They both have relatively high ranking."

"Son! You have a son! Where? And your sister?!"

"I am not nearly as young as I look. Those 'Enduring Warriors' Ben mentioned…I'm one of those. They have unnaturally long lifetimes. In simple terms, Qui-Gon is my son and I am about forty-eight years old. Let's go."

--

Back at the sandcrawler, Kelly meandered through the maze of remaining, stinking bodies as Luke was consoled by her husband.

"There's nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You'd have been killed, too…and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire."

A moment later, the nephew finally decided to react. He had, after all, been in a bit of a shock since…what he had seen.

"I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing here for me, now." That look in his eye was somehow familiar. "I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."

"Luke," Kelly stated lightly, but with some solemnity, "welcome to the first level of the Jedi order. You are now the second padawan of the great General Obi-Wan Kenobi, trained by the late Qui-Gon Jinn, who happened to be my father. Oh, and did I mention that Ben is my husband?"

Thanks for reading! Please vote and review! I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but my respite from a busy schedule is coming to an end, and I wanted to get this one out as soon as possible.


	5. The Outside Help

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Oh gosh, I am SO sorry for not updating in so long, but I've had school, animals, and a play keeping me COMPLETELY booked! And I'm also sorry that this is so short, but I have another busy week coming up. Hope you enjoy!

The Outside Help

"Mos Eisley spaceport," Ben announced as they stood on a cliff overlooking the dusty old town that sprawled across the sand below. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

Clearly, Kelly was quickly settling into the life of field work once again as she finished braiding her mid-back-length hair and began pinning it up in a peculiar, lop-sided bun. Meanwhile, Luke was cockily attempting to hide a smile. It was obvious which side of the family he got that from…

Finished with her bun, the woman wrapped her arms about a well-maintained, trim waist and Ben remembered to whom the bun made her impeccably similar; however, he kept silent about the subject, instead focusing on her face.

"Darling," he addressed her with a slight question mark on the word, "what are you thinking?"

"Ah Ben, you know me so well!" she exclaimed, the elated tone matched by a childish grin. "I admit that I do have a plan…but it doesn't involve either of you. Sorry, kid," she concluded. Ben looked over to see the teenager's evident disappointment.

Before either male knew it, however, Kelly was sauntering off, leaving them with their thoughts.

"So," Luke stuttered, "…what now?"

"We get in, find a decent pilot, which Kelly is doing right now, and depart for Alderaan."

"How is Kelly going to get there before us?"

Ben chuckled knowingly.

"She has her ways."

Again, the Skywalker insisted on more questions.

"Well, what about the princess? Aren't we going to save her?"

"We have our priorities, Luke. At the moment, they are to deliver the droids to the Alliance."

--

"Please, Elaina, you must tell them where the plans are," the -nth vision insisted. This time, it was Obi-Wan; however, what made this one so obviously fake was that her former lover was handsome and young, a clear error. The frightening thing about it all, though, was that most of the time she couldn't tell the difference at all.

At this point, she didn't know whether to follow the advice of the first Yoda vision to make her peace and be ready to die, Qui-Gon's to be patient, or Windu's unlikely pointer to use her time-weakened Force abilities to break out. What had her enemies done to her, or was the concussion just worse than she thought?

"Elaina!" Obi-Wan exclaimed the third time.

"What?!" the girl yelled back, still lying on the cell floor as she had for an hour. "I can't do what you're suggesting, Obi-Wan. If I did…I couldn't live with myself to betray everything I have tried to help build."

All of a sudden, Obi-Wan turned into a dark cloaked figure with evil written all over its strangely-colored face. Recognizing him, Elaina scrambled back against the wall opposite the bench her foe was seated upon.

"Then you will suffer," the Emperor stated menacingly.

She couldn't contain herself. She was just on the verge of breaking out into tears (again). Her breaths became quick with panic until her head lost its support and it was knocked against the floor, causing a horrendous wave of pain. The door had opened, and in its place stood Tarkin. The Emperor was nowhere in sight, but Tarkin's smile was chilling enough to replace that.

"It's time we had a little chat, bodyguard."

--

Kelly dropped the last soldier, closed the door, and locked it behind her. Finished with that, she promptly leaned against the wall, panting. It had taken only fifteen minutes (painful minutes that they were) to scale the rocky cliff which had stood between the lookout and the town, followed by another ten minutes of full-out running across the burning desert, only to be countered by half a dozen stormtroopers who were asking more questions than she was willing to answer.

A few saber strokes later, the opposing force had been taken of; but then, there was the question of the peculiarity of bodies just lying about on the outskirts of the port. So…she had to drag the soldiers one by one into a nearby storage unit around the corner…and she was exhausted! Talk about out of shape! Twenty years before, it would have been nothing!

Finally, however, the girl shook off her frustration and walked through the city, straight into one of the cantinas. For some reason, she felt drawn to it. She could only assume that it meant her query lay inside.

--

"I don't know, Chewie, but I can tell you that we're not stickin' around here for too long," the handsome smuggler gruffly told his furry companion across the table. "Do you mind?" he went on, motioning to his now-empty cup. With a decent roll of the eyes and growly muttering, the Wookie went off with the container for a second refill.

Han then noticed the entrance of a newcomer into the cantina. It wasn't her entry which caused his notice. She just seemed rather out-of-place among the throng of alien visitors, though she was clearly a native of the planet from the rough, brown clothes she wore, which consisted of pants, a shirt, and a poncho. However, there was something different about the possibly twenty-five year old woman. She stood with far more command and nobility than a normal resident of Tatooine would.

Surprisingly enough, the second she spotted the smuggler in the corner, she promptly walked straight over to his table, sat down without a word, and proceeded to stare right into his eyes with her own intensely brown ones. An awkward moment later, she finally spoke in a strong, but casual tone.

"We need your help."

Suddenly, Han's jittery senses led him to look at the entrance once again. This time, an old man, a boy, and two droids came; of course, the droids were quickly shooed away by the bartender. After that, they both meandered their way to where Chewie was. The old guy was apparently casual enough, but the kid jumped at everything.

Surprisingly enough, the girl didn't bother to even look at the scene even when the younger newcomer was loudly confronted by one of the many outlaws in the cantina, which was quite uncharacteristic for a local. So, he resolved to ignore the whole thing.

"How can I help you?" was his hopefully careless, if delayed, reply.

With a smirk, the woman sipped a drink which he was sure hadn't been there before. Who and what was she?

"Good…I was thinking for a second that I would have to take an hour just to find a decent pilot."

"What do you want?"

It took every bit of effort not to turn his head towards the bloodcurdling scream.

"My name is Kelly Kenobi and those gentlemen your companion was just talking to," she continued upon Chewie's approach, "are my husband, Ben, and Luke, a friend."

Kelly paused once the giant Wookie took a seat and growled his explanation about the strangers. The girl across the table simply cocked her head at them, clearly trying to wrap her head around the Wookie's language, until the two prospective passengers came over, at which point she stood and allowed the old man to sit.

"Han Solo…I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system."

"Yes, indeed," 'Luke' (he assumed at least since the white-haired adventurer seemed far too old to be the husband of a woman that young) said, "if it's a fast ship."

"Fast ship?" Han exclaimed. "You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"

"Should I have?"

"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs! I've outrun Imperial starships, and not the local bulk-cruiser, mind you. I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?"

"Only passengers: myself, my wife, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked."

Wife?! That pretty young lady was married to that ol' hoot?! Still, he kept his laid-back outward appearance…

"What is it, some kind of local trouble?"

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."

"Well, that's just the trick, isn't it?" He was interrupted by Kelly suddenly as she wanted to see what sort of hyperdrive he had. It was an odd request, but after Chewie volunteered to join her as soon as they were done negotiating, he felt more comfortable. And the haggling began…

Once Ben and Luke left, he couldn't contain his excitement.

"Seventeen thousand! Ha, those guys must really be desperate. This could really save my neck. Get back to the ship and get her ready."

Chewie's annoyance was clear as he complained that he was about to head there anyway.

--

As Elaina was dragged out of the control room, Tarkin gave the Sith a frightfully content grin. Ever since he had heard of the 'method's' effectiveness as it sent Vader's would-be competition along a course quite parallel to insanity, the Imperial commander had insisted on being present for every interrogation.

With each question, Elaina seemed to have taken more effort to hold back; however, Vader, unlike Tarkin, was not so sure that it was information. Perhaps a burst of tears or profanity, but the Elaina Jinn he knew would die before betraying her friends. This made him almost glad that his companion interrupted the thoughts.

"How are the normal techniques of interrogation fairing with the princess?"

"Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It will be some time before we can extract any information from her."

"The final check-out is complete," another officer interrupted. "All systems are operational. What course shall we set?"

"Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion," Tarkin pondered.

"What do you mean?" Vader queried in turn, puzzled that there could be a more effective method than his own.

"I think it is time we demonstrate the full power of this station. Set your course for Princess Leia's home planet of Alderaan." Of course, the last bit was directed towards the officer.

"What if that does not accomplish your goal?"

A wicked grin appeared on the commander's tight face.

"You said that you are nearing a breakthrough with the bodyguard, yes? Well then, if the Princess resists this new tactic, we shall no longer have any use for her. With her out of the picture, we will have more room than ever to move about the galaxy. And, as you also mentioned before, the Emperor has plans for the stubborn little twit of a guardian. Oh, come now, Lord Vader; don't look so surprised. You were after all the one who announced it in the first place."

Indeed, the fearless Sith was staring at the wall in shock…well, he wouldn't call it shock, but…whatever…

After excusing himself, he walked out, taking great effort to not physically display his frustration. It truly did surprise him. He had always known Elaina to be a strong, flexible, unbreakable wall of determined gentleness. To see the great Enduring Warrior fall apart like this…he had never imagined something like this even in his wildest dreams!

Suddenly, Vader realized that he was standing in front of the cell of the very woman of which he was thinking, his gloved hand suspended over the opening button. He could faintly hear the girl within calling for her probably dead sister. What was he thinking? With that, he stalked off.

--

Just as he and the girl reached the docking bay, Chewie's companion collapsed. He barely caught Kelly before she fell to the ground, but she was more than easy to carry the rest of the way. Why she passed out, he had no idea!

Thanks for reading and please review!


	6. Ex Igne Resurgam

Thanks DragonRider2000, Moonstar 11, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews! You are all simply amazing people. Thank you so much for your patience and sticking with me!

So, by the way, the title is an Irish motto meaning, 'I will arise from the fire'.

Evanescence's "Going Under" goes with the 2nd scene and Within Temptation's "Somewhere" is w/ scene 3…

Alright, one of the segments in this chapter is quite similar to one from an absolutely fabulous (and well-known) movie. If you can guess which one it is and tell me what it's from, I'll add a minor character, sort of like Qui-Gon Kenobi (who will, by the way, be making a comeback pretty soon), based on you. If more than one person gets it, I'll just have to add more than one character. Good luck!

Ex Igne Resurgam

One second, she had been casually trotting along next to the tower-of-a-Wookie towards the docking bay, eager to set her eyes on some real hyperdrive engines…the next, she found herself walking in this thick maze of fog. She couldn't escape it; only walk on and on for what could have been hours.

Also, her clothes were black leather, like what she used to wear.

Sometimes, Kelly thought she could see familiar shapes in the mist, but when she ran toward them, they returned to nothing. It was incredibly frustrating and almost frightening. The thought of being lost that long with hardly any sign of hope was mind-boggling! Once again, a shape appeared, though the girl resolved to ignore it. Strangely enough, it didn't fade like the others…her mind must have been playing tricks…

--

Brilliant! Another hallucination! Who would it be this time? Her mother? Master Ki-Adi-Mundi? Suddenly, as the figure wandered her direction, she noticed who it was, though she refused to believe it. The apparition seemed to be lost and almost purposefully ignoring her, which was an odd thing for these visions.

Finally, however, it hesitantly meandered her way. Deep down, Elaina dreaded facing this one…yet, all around, she was beyond the point of no return. She didn't care if this one went off sobbing like Padme did!

"El?" the brunette quietly queried, approaching her as if she were a rabid bantha.

"Kelly! Fabulous to see you! Have a seat!" the sitting woman exclaimed casually, motioning to the invisible ground. Instead of doing the usual taking a seat and trying to convince her of giving away information, Kelly raced toward her, her eyes lighting up with excitement, causing Elaina to stand in surprise. "Whoa! Easy, Kelly," she continued nervously.

'Kelly' stopped in apparent shock herself.

"What's wrong, Elaina?"

A scoff preceded the response.

"What's wrong? Hmm, let me see…my life is hanging in the balance, your dead, Obi-Wan's dead, everyone I ever knew is dead, you lived peacefully for who knows how many years with the man I was in love with while I've been sticking my neck out for the whole galaxy without a moment's peace…and did I ever get a thank you? No! All I ever got was a medal and even more dangerous missions thrown my direction. The promotions were a curse ten times more than the failures I had. I mean come on! Since when did I ask for this instead of what you have…sitting in your safe little house with quiet, a bunch of kids, and a husband who would do anything to keep you safe…"

"Stop!" Kelly practically screamed, startling the lecturer a touch, but not enough to make Elaina pay too much attention. "Let's get back to the part where your life is hanging in the balance."

"Sorry, not happening…I have had enough of keeping quiet through all of this, Kelly…or whoever you are! And, even if you really are my sister, don't even think of trying to help. I will not have you dragging me down again. It's my turn to save myself, so leave me alone!"

It almost hurt as much as the tortures, except that it only lasted a split second. The slap had practically left a handprint on Elaina's stinging cheek. Tears began attempting an escape.

"Elaina! It's me! It's your Kelly!" It was the other woman's turn to become emotional. "Don't you know your Kelly?"

After a moment's hesitation, the older twin collapsed in realization. Kelly was real. Blankly staring ahead, she watched as the mist gave way to walls, floor, and ceiling. All her strength seeped out as if she had run a marathon.

"I'm losing myself, Kelly. I try remembering the faces of everyone I cared about, but the second I do, they show up and make me wish I hadn't even thought of wanting to see them again. They're winning the battle and all I can do is stand by and watch while everything I worked towards shatters before my very eyes."

Kelly bent down, completely unaware that she was now in Elaina's cramped little cell.

"Elaina, you have to hold on. As soon as we get the plans to Alderaan, we'll come save you. You just have to tell me where you are. How do I find you?" Elaina glanced towards the door on her left as she heard heavy footfalls. Again, Kelly didn't notice. "Elaina, come on! You have to keep with it. Stay with me. Hold on." She stared into her beloved twin's eyes, resigned and empty.

"I can't do this, Kelly."

When Elaina looked back from the door, her sister was gone. She wouldn't die…at least not quickly. Tarkin had already informed her that the Emperor wanted to see her for some reason…for how long he wanted her alive, he didn't say.

The footsteps got closer. She wouldn't be able to hold information back for much longer, not that it would matter in the long run. Tarkin and Vader were already planning on making Alderaan their first target. The peaceful, beautiful planet would be destroyed. And, not only would she lose the planet she called home, but Elaina would soon lose Leia, whom she had sworn her life to protect…and she had failed. She had failed yet again. First with Qui-Gon, then Shmi, then Kelly, now Leia and millions of others…

"I can't do this." Her quiet, accented words seemed to echo throughout the stifling room. She could no longer hold onto reality. Even though Kelly had insisted on her ability to achieve both the delivery of the plans and Elaina's rescue, the captive knew what would truly happen.

Twenty years of danger and adventure had been well-spent; but now, her part of history had been fulfilled and it was time for her sister to play the hero. With that knowledge, she could convince herself that the weakness she felt could be left unguarded at last. Besides, she had let most long-collected experience and knowledge slip through her fingers like water, so there wasn't much to hide, making the rest easy. Her mantle would be taken up by someone far more deserving.

The door opened.

_I can't do this._

--

Kelly woke with a jerk, wondering: one, where her sister really was if the vision was at all true; and two, where she was. She was on a strange ship, lying on a bench. Curiously, she peaked around at the scant décor of the area. Everything was machinery except for the bench she was sitting on with the peculiar game table, a couple of chairs, and a few other odds and ends. The girl quickly remembered past events, however, as her husband entered, his face brightening instantly upon seeing her.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake! You had some of us quite worried, my dear." He continued talking, to her slight distaste. "We finally made the jump to lightspeed after a few complications…"

"Ben," she interrupted. During the moment of silence that followed, she stood, her seat to be quickly taken by the Wookie and droids. "Why couldn't I have gone to save Elaina while you delivered the information?"

Clearly, Ben was trying to put off answering the question as he retrieved a helmet and began polishing it.

"Kelly…you are not the only one who has had disturbing visions."

"What do you mean?" Another pause sent her nearly into interrogation mode. "Ben, if you know that Elaina doesn't have the kind of time we need to deliver R2, then I need to go. I promised I would save her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I had a vision of her, but for some reason it was two-way. Ben, she's losing grip on reality and I need to know if she'll need me sooner than planned."

She was ready to explode when another pause ensued.

"Darling, my visions were of past and future events. The future is that if a rescue is attempted too soon, you will be shot and killed…by an Imperial guard. As for Elaina…"

"What, Ben? What about her?" Kelly coaxed as she sensed Luke about to come around the corner. Her husband would probably refuse speaking of such things in front of their nephew.

"I get the feeling that Elaina has abandoned her abilities with the Force. From what I saw, not even we could resurrect the skill she seems to have lost…even if we could save her."

Sure enough, Luke came around the corner and Ben handed the helmet to the confused lad. It suddenly dawned on Kelly…

"You were never planning on saving her in the first place! Ben, I…you… After all that she did for us…"

With that, the once glorious Jedi went racing out of the room towards where she knew there would be a cot or something to sob into…

The hopeless look on her twin's face that had appeared just before the vision ended was imbedded in the woman's mind. However 'gone' she was, that look had confirmed that she was about to give up, whatever her situation. In twenty years, who knew what sort of interrogatory methods the Sith could have concocted! And who were her torturers? Minor officers of the Empire or the Emperor himself? None of it made sense and it was driving her insane.

However much anger had been still simmering between the sisters at the time of their parting, Kelly had never forgotten to acknowledge the sacrifice it must have been for Elaina to separate herself from Ben and the younger sibling. Now, because of that, she was in this position. Annoyingly enough, Kelly almost blamed herself for it! Of course, that was groundless.

Regardless of any situation, she had to save Elaina…and a plot was already beginning to mold itself.

She only hoped that Elaina would hold on long enough for the plan to be executed.

--

Ben was puzzled as he stared at Luke, watching the rookie's movements against the practice remote. For all the calm stoniness against his wife's persistent nagging, he didn't know much more than she...other than having a general idea of what the Empire was doing to his sister-in-law.

--

"No!" the princess exclaimed desperately. "Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly…"

"You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system," Tarkin drilled menacingly. Leia could only hope that Elaina's bluffing-during-an-interrogation technique of staring at an object ahead (which happened to be her planet) worked. "I grow tired of asking this, so it'll be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?" A moment of tension followed, but Leia finally faked a breakdown.

"Dantooine…they're on Dantooine."

"There, you see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable. Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."

"What?!"

The girl's drooped head instantly popped up upon hearing the order.

"You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make…"

She wasn't paying attention to the stuck-up pomp in the least. Upon awakening that morning in her cell, Leia would have never even dreamed that would be the last time she would gaze on her beloved planet.

Even as the beautiful place was destroyed in a dazzling explosion, she couldn't fathom that her home, her refuge was gone forever. Of course, nothing but a physical, opaque obstruction, such as a wall, could tear her gaze from the flying, glittering pebbles. She could do nothing but gape at the sight, even as she heard a familiar pained gasp come from nearby, until the guards shoved her through the doorway back towards the cell block.

--

Unfazed by the grand demonstration Tarkin seemed to be so proud of, Vader turned towards Elaina who was gazing wide-eye at, not the space outside, but the floor. She seemed scared, surprised, and faint. It was as if something had burst through the shell of exhaustion which encompassed the girl since half an hour before, when she had given a detailed explanation of the occurrences after his…confrontation with Obi-Wan.

The tale had been quite lengthy for such a short period of time. According to Elaina, or Aylana as she insisted on being called when in a more sarcastic mood, several of the remaining Jedi had met on one of the ships in orbit around Coruscant. Padme died, a fact which still pained him, Yoda went off hiding somewhere, the 'where' of which Elaina claimed to not know, Obi-Wan and Kelly had gone off to Tatooine together and lived happily until their deaths, which somewhat surprised the Sith, and Elaina had gone off to aid the newly-formed rebels.

"So, Aylana," Tarkin addressed the captive, who was using the wall for support, "let us now see how effective the Emperor's Ally really is." 'Emperor's Ally'?! The scientists couldn't have come up with a more pathetic name than that in a million years!

In response to the address, Elaina heaved herself off the wall to face her questioner. The fire in her eyes was all but gone.

"What do you want to know?"

That tone of voice could have sent shivers down anyone's back. Vader had never heard a human, much less one so free-spirited, sound so mechanical and cold.

"Was the princess telling the truth about the rebel base's location?"

"No, Commander, she was not."

"Excellent!" Elaina turned to go. "One other question, bodyguard." The suited figure nearly saw the girl's lip quiver as she turned back partially to face Tarkin's fearful smile. "Where is the rebel base?"

The silence was filled with red-hot dread.

"…Yavin IV," she breathed, and practically trotted out with the guards following. None of them had bothered to worry about Elaina escaping after days of practically solid torture and questioning.

--

Elaina staggered into the cell in shock. She had just given away one of her most jealously guarded secrets to her sworn enemies! Kicking the wall (and instantly regretting it), she sunk down to the floor, desperately trying to figure out how it had occurred.

Fear. Fear was the answer. Fear and weakness.

Fear was why she had never showed emotion as a padawan and (for a while) Jedi Knight. Fear, emotion, made her weak. It hurt both her and everyone else in the galaxy. Fear and emotion had led her to betray everything she loved…

And they would no longer rule her.

Promptly, the ominous vision of the Emperor disappeared and, for once, Elaina was positive as to what had been reality and what imagination. Kelly was alive and coming. She would rise from the fire in which she had been burning.

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	7. Reclaiming Reality

Thanks Moonstar 11, Katie Ladmoore, and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Sadly, no one guessed what the similar scene was in the last chapter (The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers...between Frodo and Sam in Osgiliath)...except for my editor who is a genius in that respect anyway! Plus, I can't give her the "prize" as she already has a character based on her: Kelly. So you see my problem... Anywho, I'll try it again another time.

"Broken" by Lifehouse goes with scenes 3-5…

Reclaiming Reality

"She lied!" Tarkin exclaimed upon hearing of the deserted state of Dantooine, where, according to Princess Leia, there was a Rebel base. "She lied to us!"

"I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion…as would…" He was about to say 'Elaina' or 'Aylana'…either one, but the Commander interrupted.

"Terminate her…immediately! This only proves the effectiveness of the Emperor's Ally."

"You really need to come up with a better name for that," Vader muttered, however, his quiet comment went unheeded; therefore, he raised his voice in an alternative suggestion. "If the princess did not disclose the base's location, then what makes you think that her bodyguard answered us truthfully?"

Moving towards a seat, Tarkin began one of his speeches that caused Vader's fingers to twitch in anticipation of the annoying man's demise.

"My dear Vader, perhaps you simply have not gotten the idea through that thick armor of yours, but the Emperor's Ally is a drug (well, you could also somewhat call it a disease, seeing as it never goes away), concocted by the Emperor himself and created by his most prized scientists. Sometime after the bodyguard's arrival, we altered it to an aerosol form and flooded her cell with it through the air vents.

It hardly took any time to take effect, surprisingly, but it has been truly amazing to watch its progress. It started with hallucinations, which caused her to slowly but surely lose grip on reality. Between her loved ones giving such clashing advice, as I gathered from the security camera, and our normal techniques, Aylana's will began to weaken…until, finally, she gave in, as was inevitable. It's as simple as that.

And, no matter how she may resist it in the future, it will always be there: a young girl eager to please her parents under that hard shell of a warrior. If she ever escapes from this station or, later on, the Emperor's palace, she can never escape her own mind."

--

Kelly was awakened with a jerk. She must have fallen asleep…but for what reason? Why here?

Suddenly, it hit her. She had ran to the small cot and cried her heart out for fear of not being able to save her sister's life until she had felt the lives of countless people be extinguished, at which point, the girl had lost consciousness. Simple, but who had died?

Pushing those thoughts aside, the Jedi (if she could still be called that) stood, staggering (as was required with the constant bumping of the craft) to the cockpit. Standing behind everyone there, she watched as hundreds of small rocks came hurtling towards them.

"Our position is correct," Han reported, "except…no Alderaan."

"What do you mean?" the youngest member of the group exclaimed. "Where is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It ain't there. It's been totally blown away."

"What? How?" In the old days, Kelly would have found it humorous how both she and her nephew had asked the same things at the same time.

"Destroyed," Ben calmly joined in as they cleared the asteroid field, "…by the Empire."

He was quickly countered by the pilot, though the woman was just ready to object.

"The entire Starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've… There's another ship coming in."

Everyone watched as the small vessel sped past them and Kelly's eyes locked with what lay ahead while the men argued. She sensed something from the distant sphere ahead, but it was so mottled, she couldn't tell worth bantha fodder whether it was good or bad…perhaps both? Maybe Elaina was there.

The tension mounted as everyone noticed that the sphere was in fact a giant space ship of some sort. Kelly seriously considered laughing at Luke's understatement.

"I have a very bad feeling about this."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power."

The Knight's (a title she had decidedly retaken in her mind) fingernails dug into the seat cushion in front of her upon noticing their lack of retreat. Of course it was a tractor beam! Promptly, the imaginary gears of her mind were put into full throttle. There had to be some way out of being captured by the Empire on only the first day of excitement! Years before, Kelly had been practically infamous for her ingenuity. Unfortunately, nineteen years of living in a cleaned-up hovel in the middle of the burning desert in the outskirts did nothing to keep her talent polished.

A vision sent her leaning on Chewbacca's seat in order not to faint. The flashes frightened her more than anything. Ben, Luke, the Falcon, the endless silver halls, and…Vader!

Panic suddenly overtook the girl.

"Captain, there must be something we can do to get this going backward!" she yelled before rushing off to the engine in the back. Faintly, she heard Solo yell,

"Hey, get that girl away from there!" but she was already 'there' and grabbing for tools. More yelling and a few curses could be faintly distinguished as 3PO entered from the short hall. Kelly ignored the droid, of course, focused on her work, but that didn't stop him.

"Oh mistress, please return to the forward section. If Captain Solo gets any angrier, I'm afraid he may consider jettisoning me before…"

"Just put a sock in it!" she cried. A moment later, the boost in power was evident. The hum of it was music to her ears. Perhaps she hadn't lost her touch after all…

After putting tools away and sealing the engine entrance, Kelly casually trotted back to the cockpit, thinking that they would be on their way…away from the horrid machine of death…sadly, that would not be the case. The station's bulk at this point took up the entire window; therefore, no one noticed Kelly for a moment until Han turned towards her.

"Well, kid, you definitely made some improvements." They all moved away from the cockpit as the Falcon got closer to the docking bay. "Unfortunately, it wasn't quite timely enough. Come on…I still got a few tricks up my sleeve." The girl paused right before he went any further.

"Don't get cocky with the whole 'kid' thing. I've got a good twenty years on you."

The only one who wasn't confused by the little statement other than Kelly herself was Ben.

--

For the…whatever…who knows what time, the captive was dropped in her cell. At this point, she didn't even try getting onto the metal shelf they insisted on calling a bed; rather, the farthest she got was leaning up against the wall.

Staring at the opposite partition, Elaina attempted to puzzle out how she had obtained clarity the last time. It had something to do with…

Violently standing and kicking her support in frustration, the woman cried out wordlessly in exasperation. She knew the tickle in the back of her mind meant something…specific. But specific was one of the many things she had dropped from her list of Force abilities. She couldn't think clearly! If only for one blessed hour of knowing what was real and what was not, she and Leia could have already been on their merry way. It's not as if the securities on the cell doors were at all unique…

The only thing she knew was real was the blood on her face from a recent cut…plus the throbbing pain.

She couldn't believe she had been stupid enough to cast aside decades of training which had cost her everything! Sure, it seemed great when she had first made the decision…less likely to be noticed, less to worry about interrogation-wise, etc. etc. etc….none of that mattered anymore! She had given up most of the knowledge she had anyway!

And it was all because she had lost her sister. The dishonest thought stung like a knife.

…her sister. She sunk down to the floor in agony, desperate for relief. Would it ever end? There was one thing that could ease it: the truth, but that was the last thing of the past she wanted to think of…

Relief…

Pain…

…Obi-Wan.

--

Vader stormed into the cell block, convinced that Elaina must have somehow regained her somehow forgotten abilities and needed to be stopped before it got too far. For all he knew, she could already have…

With a few swift motions of his hand, Vader opened the door, pinned the inmate against the side wall in a choke hold, and closed the door behind him.

"What have you done?"

Desperately trying to breath, the girl hissed back at him in strangled defiance,

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You lie!" he yelled in return, tightening his grip; however, it seemed that his actions were only half of why she cried out (what came out as more of a squeak due to the limited air supply). It was as if that happened every time she tried resisting a question. "You will tell me now what you have done." Tears began seeping down her cheeks, following the trails of their predecessors. "In what ways have you used the Force?" The only answer was more tears.

--

Promptly, she dropped to the floor in a heap, sobbing between gasps of breath. Vader meanwhile towered over her in smug victory. The Force…what she would give to taste the sweetness of such an ability once again. Given a few years…but she didn't have a few years. She would be lucky to have a few minutes.

Having hoisted herself into a relative sitting position with her hands, she truly became aware of the creature's presence. With one hand for support and the other for a few vague gestures, she began pleading her case…desperately.

"If I could tell you what you wanted to know, I would!!! Haven't you figured that out, yet?!" His hand came down and her life flashed before her eyes…but no added pain. Still, she couldn't suppress the pleading, sobbing whisper of "no."

The hand of judgment stayed suspended over her head for what seemed hours as the pitiful sobs continued to rack the woman's body. Yes, she had been this afraid in the past…at least almost this afraid, but it had never been for herself. She had always been more than willing to die for her cause and still was; however, the thought of not being able to hold back a galaxy-balancing answer and soon to be at mercy of the Emperor himself…scared her out of her wits.

The hand came down and she cringed for all the life left in her…but the touch was soft…and almost caring.

Looking up past the fingers running through her hair, Elaina saw the figure of a handsome young man kneeling down to her level. He had soft blue eyes, smooth, wavy brown hair, and a defiant, yet caring demeanor. The face, which she had made herself forget for all the pain and memories it brought, could only belong to one person. The name she murmured while touching his cheek seemed almost sacred for how dear it was to her.

"Anakin…"

Suddenly, the face turned into the horrifying black mask and the gentle hand turned into a cruel glove as Vader abruptly stood, shoved her back against the wall, and strode out with fury equal to his station, leaving the bodyguard sniffling back the tears she had shed, confused for Vader and worried for Leia.

--

The princess, meanwhile, was simply sitting in her cell, wondering what her captors were doing to Elaina now. All of banging and yelling had to mean something…she just couldn't imagine what else they could do! She hadn't been there for any of her bodyguard's interrogations, but Leia had heard something a drug or disease…some new interrogation method.

She only wondered why they had used it on her covert mentor rather than the well-known, infamous Princess Leia Organa, known for her stubbornness.

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	8. Death Knell

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Ok, we'll try this again. The person who guesses what line is from a what movie (it's quite obvious in my opinion, but I wrote it, so…) gets to have a minor character added to this story based on them. If more than one person gets it, more than one character will be added. Look closely as it's only one line and somewhat of an action; however, don't panic…it's quite popular. :) Good luck!

Death Knell

Peeking out through the ship's entrance, Kelly tried to contain her fits of laughter as the males exchanged sarcastic comments. It was actually somewhat of a relief to listen to that sort of thing rather than being the person offering it. Suddenly, she nearly choked on a laugh as her eye caught sight of two stormtroopers heading their way with a crate. She instantly snuck back over to where her companions were replacing the cargo bay lids and whispered,

"Here they come. There's only a couple, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"I like your thinking, Kel," Han lightly responded as he stationed himself in the hall, receiving a startled, yet pleased, grin from the girl…and a subtle glower from her husband. When Kelly looked back at the white-haired man, however, his face was again neutral. It couldn't have been…no, Ben never got jealous! He of all people knew how friendliness in her book could occasionally look like flirting to the observer. Even Luke appeared a bit peeved.

With the few guards taken care of a few moments later, the men 'borrowed' the soldiers' suits while Kelly snuck out the door and headed for the control room (or whatever it was called these days) with the Wookie. Both of them chuckled at the fact they had gotten away from their companions unnoticed with such ease.

"You know, my dear Chewbacca," she pointed out while peeking around the corner at their target's door, "I feel as if I've known you for years…yet I only met you a day or so ago." She turned back to the giant fur ball leaning against the wall. "Don't you think that's a bit odd?"

He gave one of his cute, whiny growls in response.

"Nah, who am I kidding. It's just…" She paused to give the jogging officer coming around the corner a good backhand swing over her shoulder (knocking him out cold) before casually continuing, though Chewie seemed quite interested. "…your description, attitude, sarcasm…it seems like a sketch from…" Then, it suddenly dawned on her while they began the short jaunt to the control room with the rather defensive aide. "Hey, have you ever heard of…"

The name didn't even reach her lips. The moment her hand reached to use the Force in snatching the man's aimed gun from his hand, her target was shot down.

"Are you crazy, woman?!" Han shouted, passing her without hardly a glance as Luke came up behind with the unconscious officer that Kelly had previously eliminated as a problem. As soon as both helpless opponents were against the wall though, the captain shot the other one too.

"You're insane!" the girl was quick to state as a fact. "He was completely powerless!"

Presently, she was standing like a bantam cockerel against a pit bull as the man came to face her with only a small space between, him being a good couple inches taller than her, though it did not appear so from a distance.

"He was about to shoot. What did you expect me to do?!"

Her pointing finger came up. It felt like disciplining Qui-Gon all over again…difficult to the highest level.

"I had that perfectly under control…but you're changing the subject. The other one couldn't even…"

"He might have been able to call for help somehow!"

"We could have used them as leverage…keeping them alive," Kelly growled.

"They would still be a threat."

The words rang a bell in her mind. She sat down when the memory of decades before came welling up…the last mission she and Elaina had undertaken as partners…

_When only two of them unsheathed daggers and confronted the men, the others ran, closely pursued by Kelly-Fyn. "Kelly, don't…" Her words were lost as the other woman killed all three runners with a simple twirl of her lightsaber._

"_What happened?" the younger man queried as Elaina ran over to her sister and began yelling,_

"_What did you do that for? They were harmless!"_

"_Elaina, they would have gone straight to their allies…and then where would we be? On the run, again."_

"_I disabled their guns. You could have simply used the Force to stop them instead of murdering them in their tracks."_

"_They were still a threat."_

"_In whose mind? Yours? Forget about it…"_

3PO and R2 were performing their usual professions, but Ben, who was just finishing an argument with Luke…Obi-Wan…

"No, you can't go alone!" she cried desperately, meeting his eyes with look that only her husband could interpret. "You just can't!"

"Relax, my dear," he chided in that calming manner which only stressed her further. "You too must help deliver the droids straightaway, as soon as I have completed my duty."

"Ben…" Her voice was as iron. "Just as you must do your duty, then you know mine."

"Now, Kelly, don't be ri…"

"I'm not, Ben; and you know it. Neither will come true, I'll make certain of that."

On that note, her soul mate proceeded to stride through the doorway and disappear.

Only they two knew what "neither" meant. The visions both spouses had experienced occurred on the space station. First, Kelly got shot somehow, somewhere, and next, Ben was killed by a black tower that could only be Vader. They went hand in hand…she just knew that if she avoided being shot…if she managed to use the Force to hack into the computer…find Elaina…

Oh, she couldn't think with the boys' constant bickering!

"Yeah, great at getting us into trouble." That grating voice beyond the woman's closed eyes could only be Han.

"I didn't hear you give any ideas."

A plan…she needed a plan…

"Well, anything would be better than just hanging around waiting for him to pick us up."

It would be risky, but…

"Who do you think…"

"Hold the phone!" Kelly called out, her eyes popping open and her hands generally cutting off conversation…that is except for 3PO, who didn't get the pun. He instantly picked up the nearby communicator and spoke into it.

"Hello?"

Ugh! Why did funny comments always have to be at serious times?

"Oh, put a sock in it, 3PO."

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I do not have socks. I am only a…"

"Quiet!!!" The word hit home, finally. "I have something to do. No mischief-making…I mean it."

Two things caught her ear as she went through the door: Han's muttering of "well, I sure can't argue with that," and R2's high-pitched whistle, which she ignored. Only one figure jumped out at the moment.

Detention block A: Cell A-24

--

"You know, kid," Han pointed out as he continued lounging, while glaring at the door the woman who was supposedly old enough to be his mother had gone through, "your buddies are definitely a perfect match: both crazy as can be, stubborn as mules, and annoying as an Andorian fly."

"Why do you keep calling them crazy?" Luke insisted while the droids continued doing…whatever they were doing. "They're good people and I trust them with my life."

"Sure…the old man might take a bullet for any ol' trader or thief he met, but that girl…" His distracted huff seemed to be an attempt of both admiration and disgust, yet Luke couldn't help himself.

"What? She's what?"

"Listen, Luke, I don't know what makes you so fascinated by her, but that lady is an enigma."

"And you're not?"

That comment was purposefully ignored.

"What is she to you? A sister, cousin, grandmother?" he grumbled sarcastically.

"Kelly is the sis…" Suddenly, the boy's face was contorted by confusion. "She's…"

"Ah-ha! You don't even know who she really is!"

"Kelly is the sis…I mean the mother of my best friend."

"The what?!!!!"

"Sir!" 3PO interrupted.

--

Rather than moping about, Elaina decided that, if she was going to retrain herself in the Force, she would need a better reason than tactical advantage. That alone seemed wrong! Suddenly, her fogged memory cleared again, as it had more frequently during the past hour as she worked to resist the drug.

"_That's brave of you, boy…but foolish," Dooku could be heard saying as the pod dropped Yoda and Elaina off at the landing platform. "I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson."_

_At the sound of lightsabers colliding, the woman turned to her companion impatiently._

"_Why are we not helping?"_

"_Patience, my young former padawan," Yoda replied, closing his eyes as in preparation. It was then that Elaina realized the height she wished to attain. She had already displayed interest and talent in focusing on the Force. Now, she needed to bring that to its full potential…on the Council with Yoda._

Helping the galaxy with her special gifts…saving her loved ones…and having the patience, knowledge, and strength to do it properly. That was the perfect reason.

_Elaina tried to ignore the taunts of the hallucination of Obi-Wan (stunning as he was), but it seemed impossible to find the joy felt in the use of the Force with his intoxicating laugh…at her, even!_

"_Come now, Elaina," he smirked, lifting her chin. "You don't really think that you could ever in a lifetime gain enough power to do anything useful, do you? If you keep this up, the whole galaxy will laugh as I do when you bend down to polish the Emperor's shoe while trying to burn it off!"_

An incentive! It was perfect!

All she needed now was something to concentrate on…the door! Why not do something useful? If she opened the door, it was one step closer to escape.

Instantly, all of Elaina's energy was focused on finding any weakness…the 'open' button outside, a chink from which could be started a crack in the whole station, anything! Pressure…pressure on the door to open it.

Exhaustion came with the effort, but she could almost feel the lock moving. Victory was surely near. And it was achieved! She couldn't believe that she had actually…

All of a sudden, a mysterious force sent her hurling into the wall head-on. All she was aware of was the pulsing pain of her head, the moisture of the once-sealed wound on her temple, and the determination to escape. She was tired of being the Empire's plaything. Her effort to sit up and open the door at the same time seemed successful. Elaina was elated…until shoes appeared on the floor on the doorway's opposite side.

Strangely enough, they were of poor, yet sturdy make and brown in color. The woman's eyes lazily looked up, expecting a new apparition. From close study, each hallucination caused a certain sensation; yet, oddly, this one didn't have any of the normal (if subtle) signs.

Kelly was standing in the doorway, lightsaber in hand, gaping. She looked a few years older than she had since Elaina had seen her last (the younger twin had never showed up as a vision) and a bit less well-off (the worn garments were evidence of that), yet she still had that air of confident stubbornness about her.

"Elaina!" she exclaimed in horrified amazement. The captive just knew that a smirk and joke would accompany the seriousness, but it didn't. Just for laughs, Elaina looked at the somewhat reflective wall. Indeed, from what she could tell in the tin murk, her face was a shocking mix of unnaturally pale skin from lack of care and crusted blood, while the expression was of exhausted indifference. Meanwhile, Kelly continued, the smirk finally at least somewhat appearing, though it was contorted by her remaining dismay.

"You look no better than the last time I saw you."

"Thanks, Kelly," she croaked in return, clearing her voice upon hearing the unworldly sound. Shots promptly followed her heartless gratitude. She was still slightly unsure as to whether her eyes were tricking her; however, if it got her out of this terrible place, a vision she would accept.

"Uh, sis? I'd love to stay and chat in this lovely cell of yours, but we gotta go."

Putting her lightsaber into a familiar, if aged, baldric, Kelly rushed the rest of the way into the room, put Elaina's arm around her neck, and heaved the blond onto her feet, but stopped upon seeing another shot.

"Sergeant!" a yell followed it faintly from down the hall. "I ordered you to stop! That could be the cell of the prisoner Lord Vader commanded to keep alive at all costs. If she dies, you will be held personally responsible, I'll see to it. Don't worry, they won't get away." The shots momentarily stopped.

"That probably won't last long," Elaina muttered. "They don't care quite that much…I hope."

Kelly quickly began dragging her twin out and away from where the shots had originated. At the end of the corridor was what appeared to be an armory on the left and clothing area on the right, though there were dozens of different weapons and hundreds of garment types. As Kelly continued towards the door, Elaina hit the brakes in her sister's grasp, wriggled away, and exaggeratingly jogged to the nearest corner on the left.

--

"What are you doing, El?" the brunette queried desperately. Her plan would be ruined if they delayed too long. The other woman meanwhile began loudly rummaging through the weaponry. "Hurry! Someone will have heard that."

"Not without my effects," her distant twin responded lightly with that still-Obi-Wan-like accent, soon victoriously lifting a sturdy, if worn, brown belt harness of some sort out of the heap of accessories and proceeding to attach it to herself. It possessed two holsters, but only the one attached to the fastening on her right leg (while the left-sided holder on the waist remained empty) possessed an item: a faintly familiarly-designed pistol.

Finished with her task, Elaina looked up as if the harness completed who she was, a faint sparkle in her eyes.

"Now we can go." For the next few steps, Kelly grumbled a number of undecipherable profanities. Even beaten, bruised, bleeding, and apparently exhausted, Elaina, after nearly twenty life-changing years, still had the infuriating need to take command of situations.

"Freeze!"

With their backs turned to the officer's voice, the sisters looked at each other from the corners of their eyes. It almost felt like old times. The fingers of each twin were hovering over their guns.

Twirling around, they each eliminated the soldiers on either side of the commander, but while his comrades died, the man took an aim for Kelly and fired, only to be taken care of by Elaina. The younger twin collapsed on the floor agony and panic.

"Oh," Elaina breathed, kneeling down warily, "twenty years and you still manage to be reckless. You should be carrying me, not the other way around!"

"El, we have to go!"

"Fine…" With a grunt of effort, Kelly was lifted off the ground, clutching her side-wound where she had been shot. "And, by the way, you should call me Aylana rather than Elaina…especially once we get to Alderaan…"

"Elaina!" Kelly interrupted as her companion closed the door behind them and shot the control panel.

"Aylana…"

"Don't you know that Alderaan was destroyed…and probably by this station?"

There was only a split-second pause before the twin continued her gimpy aid.

"I was somewhat hoping that it was just part of the…"

"The what, El…Aylana?"

That went ignored as they reached a junction with three other options besides turning around.

"Which way?"

"Can't you figure it out?"

Even with Kelly bent down in pain to her sister's level, the blue-eyed woman of legend wouldn't meet her gaze.

"No," was the stoic reply that contained as much emotion as if she were noting the color of a tapestry in a noble's apartment.

As another shoot of pain hit her, Kelly began rather pushing Elaina toward the elevator on the left in a fit of panic. She had been shot and Obi-Wan was next!

--

As the trio entered the detention block, they were stopped by an overly stiff officer surrounded by the working men and soldiers who seemed to be cleaning and fixing things as if an attack had preceded them. A dead man was being quickly dragged out the door behind the newcomers with a strange burn mark across his chest.

"Where are you taking this…thing?" the authority interrogated, disgustedly eyeballing Chewie.

"Prisoner transfer…cell block 11-38?" Luke uneasily answered.

"I wasn't notified. I'll have to clear it."

"What happened here?" Han queried fearlessly. Luke wanted to turn around and strangle the man for making it just that much harder to do this inconspicuously.

"There was an attack," the officer stated casually, leaning over a consol. "A prisoner escaped. But one of them was injured, so they won't get far."

In a flash of movement, Chewie broke loose, creating havoc, Han began shooting the security cameras, and Luke killed most of the guards, with Han's help. With that done, the boy began walking through the cell block, repeating the offered cell number to himself. He was probably getting close; however, the search was cut short by Han's insistent yell of,

"Luke! We're going to have company!"

Finally finding the number, he pressed the button to open the door and gaped. Sitting on the metal bench at the back of the miniature tin room was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She was dazzling, especially since he overlooked her slightly haggard appearance of just being awakened from a restless sleep.

"Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?" she queried off-handedly, resting her hand on a smoothly shaped hip.

"Wha?" the 'rescuer' lamely vocalized before finally getting a hold on himself. "Oh, the uniform…" He had just realized his strange appearance and swept the helmet from his head, stepping into the cell. "I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you."

"You're who?" The slightly more interested statement made him feel quite insignificant as the princess moved to stand, yet he became more persistent, noticing the lack of chatting time.

"I'm here to rescue you. I've got your R2 unit. I'm here with Ben Kenobi."

Suddenly, she and her interest level shot up.

"Ben Kenobi?! Where is he?"

"Come on!"

"Wait!"

"What?"

Of all things, he had not expected the woman to desire a pause in her flight from such a place so unworthy of her presence.

"Aylana, my bodyguard…she…" She cut off as the cell she had opened across the hall turned out to be empty aside from a barely noticeable blood stain low on the wall. "She's gone."

--

"The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion," Tarkin insisted as Vader thought of where the best place to wait for Obi-Wan would be. "I have a delightful thought that just may get that useless idea out of your head. Why don't we invite the bodyguard to this little meeting of ours? I'm sure she would have some wonderfully helpful input."

"Elaina Jinn is all but a well-behaved corpse by now."

"I do not think you have realized, Lord Vader, that your pet corpse is regaining quite a bit of vigor. The last time I saw her, she seemed ready to kill me with her eyes alone. In fact…" The buzz of the comlink thankfully interrupted another lecture. "Yes."

"Governor Tarkin," the voice answered, "we have an emergency alert in detention block A A-23."

"The princess!"

Elaina…

--

The halls were menacingly quiet as the sisters limped through them, pausing at every possible giveaway of a foe…not that either of them was able to fight. Nearly ten minutes had been spent in silence and Elaina apparently decided that ten minutes was long enough.

"So, Kelly, what have you been up to since I saw you last?" Looking at her twin, the brunette noticed the sparkle in the focused-on-task eyes woman beside her. Of course they were sparkling! She was free from that cramped cell.

"Umm…nothing…much? I guess?"

"Oh, come on, Kelly. It's been nearly twenty years! Something must have happened."

"How can you have lost that much blood, have at least three bloody contusions, and be so enthusiastic?"

"You need to stay aware because of that gunshot wound you have." She stopped dead in her tracks. "And since when do you use terms like 'contusion'?"

The taller girl's toned skin turned a bit pink as she blushed.

"That happens when you raised a son for most of the time we've been separate."

"A son?!" she exclaimed, though she quickly dropped to a whisper, continuing their trek back to the ship where their group would head, if anywhere. "Oh…that's…that's wonderful," she murmured.

All of sudden, Elaina grabbed her sister again and hurried her along, looking back as if something annoying was behind them. Kelly also began pushing for more speed: a thing they would need to save Obi-Wan. In their hurry, the supposed rescuer continued the conversation.

"What about you and your adventures?"

"I have many jobs that revolve around one in particular…" A horrified look appeared on Elaina's face. "Leia!! We have to go back for her, now!"

"No," she cooed comfortingly, set on saving Obi-Wan and her sister both, "Luke and Han, my companions, will have her out soon enough if not already, I'm sure. Our job is to meet them at the ship." Elaina looked attentively at the other woman, still pulling back the way they had come against her friend's desperate yanking.

"You don't really know that."

"R2 was getting close to finding Leia's location when I left them…I trust him, El, and you still should too. Besides, we couldn't do anything against even two guards, let alone what they probably have stationed after your grand getaway."

Slowly, their direction once again went towards the ship.

"It's Aylana. I'm not that person anymore."

"Of course you are," Kelly countered argumentatively. "You're still my sister, so you're still Elaina."

"Few in the Rebellion know that. The rest are safer knowing me as I have been for the past nineteen years."

"And what might that be?"

"They all revolve…leave me alone!" Kelly's jaw dropped as the girl confronted…thin air. "I'm not going back there, so just give it up. You don't want to die any more than I do. Now, where was I?" The gawker took a moment to compose herself.

"Uh, what are you…up to?"

"Oh, right…all my jobs have revolved around Leia, whether directly or indirectly: I protected, trained, partially raised, advised, and served Leia personally, and still do all of those things aside from raising her at this point. Otherwise, I'm a spy, a tactical advisor, and commander in the Rebellion; plus, they use me for special missions that might involve capture…"

"Including this one?"

"Well, my last mission was, but I was captured right afterwards while transporting the item to Tatooine and then Alderaan. By the way, how is Obi-Wan?"

"About to die, actually, if Vader has his way…"

"What?!"

The girls proceeded to run as fast as they could with their respective injuries. Only a small distance now separated them from the launch bay.

--

Leia and her saviors peeked around the corner at the piece of space junk sitting in the bay.

"There she is," Han stated with relief. That thing made her captured Rebel transport ship look like a royal escort.

Luke was contacting the droids, but the woman continued studying the peculiar vessel. A moment later, she touched the captain's arm.

"You came in that thing?" she wondered. "You're braver than I thought."

"Nice!" he sarcastically replied, but Leia ignored him and turned on the other man.

"Do the droids know where Aylana is?"

"No time for that, sweetheart," Han rudely interrupted. "Come on!"

Five seconds later, they ran into a patrol of stormtroopers.

--

Ben Kenobi continued quietly making his way through the silver halls towards the ship. He couldn't stop thinking of Kelly, worry for her safety, and feel a little regretting about leaving her alone while he would soon become one with the Force as he had worked so hard towards for nearly two decades.

Kelly was the only thing holding him back from the thought of his inevitable achievement. She would probably find a way of blaming herself. His wife had sadly acquired some of her sister's less amiable traits…

Still, there was a slight part of him that was holding back from accepting his fate because of her. On the other hand, him being dead, she wouldn't have to worry anymore for his life and he could always be near her, no matter what. No woman, however tactful, could argue with that.

Only a small distance remained between him and the ship…and Kelly. He could see the door…

But his life was fated to end that day, he realized, as Darth Vader stepped into to view a short ways down the hall, his lightsaber ignited.

--

The strings of will are pulled by desire; those of desire, love; love by trust; trust by time; time by fate; and fate by those who dangle from its cruel strings though it cares not for them and their petty cares for life…

Ahhhhh…a nice, long chapter…for once.

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	9. Friction

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Congratulations to DragonRider2000 for guessing the quote in the last chapter correctly! I'll announce your character in the next update. For all of my other wonderful readers, the quote was by CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: "Not without my effects."

The theme for the movie "Castaway" goes with scenes 2-4 and Evanescence's "Hello" is for 7-8…

Friction

At last they had reached the hangar! The only thing which stood in their way now was the mass of troopers between them and the ship: a big problem in Elaina's eye, though the clones seemed to be occasionally distracted by something. If they could use that to their advantage, perhaps getting out of the space prison would not be such an arduous chore.

If that plan failed, two heavily wounded women versus about a dozen trained, heavily armored and equipped soldiers would hardly be fair for a ship-threatening shootout…even if Kelly's 'companions' showed up. Besides, who was this supposedly annoying 'captain' her sister occasionally referred to with a dependable roll of the eyes? According to the hardly certifiable, scant description, the only problem with the man was that his morals were a bit loose from a times-matched, hard life. Thousands, even millions of people throughout the galaxy had been reduced to lives of brigands. Elaina had seen it far too often.

Between scanning the room for a viable diversion and checking her twin's injury, as she didn't have a mirror to study her own bumps and bruises, the girl's eye caught sight of two separate points of movement aside from the clones. To the left was a momentary flicker of gold which turned out to be 3PO, vainly attempting, but shockingly succeeding to stay hidden and waiting for orders of some sort…something that was of no concern to Elaina compared to the alternate sight…something that was impossible for Kelly to miss in a lifetime. Across the room, through an open door, in the hall was Vader…and Obi-Wan.

--

"You can't win, Darth," Obi-Wan stated firmly, with the usual twinkle in his eye that appeared when he knew something no one else did. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

The dual continued; however, the old man knew of the inevitable. His only comfort was that he would never again have to be separated from Kelly by distance, as distance did not matter where he was going. He had prepared himself for this moment for nearly twenty years with the starting advice from Yoda, Qui-Gon's (senior) coaching, his own hours of meditation and study, and, most importantly, Kelly's patient, tolerating encouragement…up until the time when both knew that their paths would once again separate them to a certain extent.

The stormtroopers were coming his direction to watch the show, making the perfect cover for his fleeing beloved. Fate would have its turn.

--

Upon seeing both alternate segments of her group running towards the ship, Kelly urged her sister forward, determined that reaching the ship would mean a chance to save Ben. As the two women limped along, trying and primarily failing to help each other, she spotted a different bit of action, the one which had cleared the way for the retreat. Now she knew why Elaina had been so reluctant to leave the doorway…and so eager to get to the ship without the brunette caring about anything else.

She put on the brakes as soon as they had neared the craft's entrance, flashed a glance at Darth Vader, and locked eyes with her husband, though she could feel the wrath of the Sith's stare upon her for a short time. Ben's gaze was a mix of sorrow, fear, joy, and peace. She knew that this was the day he had been preparing for all this time, but she still found herself confused and terrified.

It all happened in a matter of seconds.

With a nod from Ben that the younger twin completely overlooked, Elaina's grip tightened on her arm slightly. Vader's lightsaber came around in a deadly blow that was calmly taken by his opponent, who disappeared the moment it hit him. Kelly's murderous, agonizing scream of fury and sorrow mingled, as she would much later become aware of, with Luke's; however, Luke had the wits about him to remain in the present.

Kelly, on the other hand, frantically bolted in the direction of what remained of her husband while Elaina indifferently gripped onto her, yanking her towards the ship, whispering words of comfort that the girl would never care to comprehend.

His smile had been so gentle and calming, his eyes had held the fire of her love, his arms had been the only real comfort she had ever known to truly console her in hard times, his voice had been the only thing she cared to close her eyes to, and his presence was her cornerstone of life, her foundation and strength. Now, he had left her forever.

--

Finally shoving the weeping woman up the ramp, dragging her further into the ship, and plopping her into a seat in the corner, Elaina practically had to sit on her sister to keep her from rushing back out of the ship…getting herself captured or killed in the process. She couldn't let that happen. Even if it had just been a shared nod of approval between her and the man she had once loved, she had promised to keep Kelly safe…at least as safe as possible.

After a moment, as the ship proceeded to escape the cage of the station, Kelly's crazed babbling and scratching turned into pure sobbing and clinging; Elaina then sank down to her knees, knowing that her soothing embrace, something that had helped Leia through every nightmare, grammar exam, and family difficulty since the Queen of Alderaan's death, would be nothing next to the comfort of the man over whom they had once nearly become sworn enemies.

Slowly but surely, the sobs became sniffles of exhaustion and realized pain, followed promptly by the taller girl's passing out. Since everyone else was preoccupied with the oncoming fighters, including Leia, which left Elaina a tad bit miffed, she was left to dragging the passed out woman to the back of the ship, even through its jolting of avoidance. Either Kelly had gained a whole lot of weight, or she just seemed much heavier at a dead weight.

Reaching her goal and setting her sister on the stiff cot, she began digging through the nearby containers that should have held such things as pain relievers, sedatives, maybe even a good tranquilizer as long-time payback (those things left one big bloody headache when they wore off)…but none of those things were to be found in those normal places.

Instead, a drawer under the cot possessed the sought-for condiments. Armed with a nearly outdated pain reliever, a half-used sedative, and rather primitive bandaging, Elaina set to work, giving herself something for pain as well just for good measure.

She really did feel sorry for Kelly's loss and sad for Obi-Wan's death, but endless torture and exhaustive interrogation had left her befuddled and dispassionate.

--

Five minutes later, she was rather pleased with the outcome of her labor. Kelly's wound was cleaned and wrapped and she wouldn't wake up needing a shoulder to cry on again for at least an hour. Content, the woman covered Kelly with a blanket, grabbed a wet rag, and made her way back towards the forward section while gingerly dabbing at her face as she went.

The bumping around had thankfully ceased and everything seemed in order…except that one of the last links to her past was dead…along with all of the knowledge he could have shared to future generations.

At least she knew that this was real.

"Your ship is not perfect, whatever you may think, Captain," Leia was saying as Elaina neared the interior room. She cringed at the princess' tone. Her charge's moods could rival Kelly's when it came to frightening. "They are tracking us; I just know it."

"And I just know that this conversation isn't worth mentioning again, Princess," a charming man with a crooked smirk, thoughtful eyes, and calm demeanor replied, sitting down at one of the benches in the compartment. He was good-looking by any standard. No wonder Kelly had been so perturbed! "I suppose you're our second extra passenger," he continued, the first to notice the newcomer. Hmm, he was deceivingly observant.

"Aylana!" the princess instantly exclaimed, racing to hug her protector. Elaina's slightly pained, if muffled, grunt alerted Leia of a problem. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"The usual," she answered generally, avoiding any details of her stay in that horrible place, slowly taking the rag away from her face, and placing her eyes back on the apparent captain. "I suppose I have you and your worthy craft to thank for our wonderfully accurate, if rough-drawn escape."

"Han Solo," he introduced sociably, leaning forward from his seat, extending his hand in an offered greeting, which Elaina graciously accepted, gently shaking the man's hand.

"Aylana Jinn." The lie stung, but not nearly as much as before. She next vaguely noticed the giant Wookie as it entered.

"Oh, and this is my copilot Chewie."

"What?!" she abruptly cried, turning her gaze fully upon the huge fur ball. "Chewbacca of Kashyyyk?!"

The creature's whiny greeting was the most welcoming thing she could have ever wanted as he loped towards her, gathering the girl in his hairy arms in a familiar cuddle that she hadn't experienced since before the Clone Wars.

--

Han watched his old friend embrace the complete stranger, utterly perplexed. Where could Chewie have possibly met this woman who was no more than thirty? She was too refined and commanding to have known the Wookie on his homeworld, and Chewie had hardly spent any time between his life on the planet he was from and that of a smuggler with Han. Chewie wouldn't even raise his voice loud enough for anyone but the girl to hear, as if she was just that close to him.

Suddenly, he was brought back to reality as copilot made another muttered comment which brought Aylana's gaze back to him. Though being unsuccessful in smothering an unexpectedly girlish laugh, the woman was quick to regain her shattered composure and point at the captain.

"I apologize for that," she stated, trying to suppress a grin, "but Chewie just pointed out the similarity between our belts."

Looking at her and then his torso, Han did find it rather interesting that their holsters were almost exactly the same, though he couldn't find the reason for her outburst of humor; therefore, his laugh was a bit forced.

"So," Han began awkwardly, though he didn't know why, "where do you know each other from?"

"From where do we know each other, you mean?" she queried mischievously.

"What?"

"You ended your sentence with a preposition. Just because you're a pirate does not mean that you can't speak properly." Han gave a flat stare. The prestigious accent did nothing to her advantage at the moment. "Fine…when I was young, my teacher brought me on a visit to Kashyyyk. Chewie was quite well-known as a leader even then."

The Wookie's clucking agreement caused Han to doubt that claim.

"Uh-huh, sure…" Changing the subject… "Chewie, we should check our coordinates."

--

Groggily (and grouchily) sitting on the small transport which Elaina had dumped her on, Kelly studied the stone and metal surroundings of the Rebel base on Yavin something-or-other as her entourage was greeted by a quite elated commander who seemed almost overly familiar with the supposed Leia.

"You're safe! We had feared the worst," he said, hugging the princess before backing off and taking a more formal air. Several statements were exchanged, but one of the last truly caught the Jedi's ear. "Indeed…when Commander Qui-Gon returned with Aylana's ship and reported that you hadn't met him at the assembly point, we were all quite worried."

Qui-Gon?!

"Thank you, Commander," Leia replied, beginning to walk away from the transport, which Kelly was still sitting on, with Elaina and several others. "We need to get Aylana and Kelly, the girl over there, to the infirmary."

"Right away, Princess."

Sadly, Kelly hadn't had any time to really introduce herself to the princess, but, so far, she seemed nice, if a bit uptight…hmm, familiar?

"Leia," Elaina promptly cut in, losing all outward formality, "I would like to see the state of my ship before…"

"No, General," the superior of all present interrupted, "…I need you back on duty as soon as possible; that means going to the infirmary now."

Kelly gaped through the returning throb in her side. Not even Queen Amidala had dared tell 'Elaina Kalonya' what to do. Sparks seemed to be on the verge of igniting for a moment as the princess/senator and former Jedi Master stared at each other for a moment. Looking at Leia made Kelly feel as if she were watching herself when she and Elaina had not agreed on something.

At last, the tension broke with the bodyguard's tight words.

"As you wish, Your Highness." Before alighting the transport for the trip to the medical center, however, the blond stopped a passing boy who couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen. "Jeneth, see to it that my commander reports to me in the infirmary within the hour."

"Yes, General," the boy replied, giving a sloppy salute that was instantly corrected by his leader before he went skittering off. Elaina seemed to have influence and power here greater than anyone here but the princess. It almost made Kelly uncomfortable as they sat side-by-side during the ride to their destination.

"How are you feeling?" the other woman queried, keeping her head high though her hand discreetly death-gripped the seat. Kelly was nearly surprised, though for no reason. She was still in shock over recent events, but she answered anyway.

"I'm completely out of my element. I've hardly had any experience with civilization lately aside from the rough-house desert towns. This…" Her sweeping gesture encompassed the entire, huge room. "…there's so many people…so much, believe-it-or-not, disorderly order. How did the Rebellion gain so much support?"

"More people, planets, and star systems oppose the Empire than it allows for its subordinates to see. But, though they are smaller, they are more powerful. We only possess a mere handful of fighters in comparison, plus a mediocre collection of alternate firepower. But…what the enemy prides itself in weaponry, we have in courage, morality, and purpose.

"That doesn't answer my question." Elaina almost seemed reluctant.

"We…we have agents on many Empire-controlled planets and ships. We even have a spy in the ranks of the station's crew, though he could be dead by now, for all I know. If locals on the respective planets show a genuine interest in the Rebellion, either an agent approaches them or we are sought out. It's risky, but effective."

"You even recruit innocent young boys from their peaceful homes and force them into service if they happen to wish for the Empire's end. I'm sure all boys throughout the galaxy have at least a short moment of that sometime in their lives." Her point held bite, as she meant it to.

"What do you mean? We don't recruit anyone unless they are perfectly capable, responsibly willing, and ready to give their lives for a just cause."

"Even children?"

Elaina coolly met Kelly's ferocious stare. Whoever this 'Commander Qui-Gon' was, his name had set her suspicions running. What if the only reason her son had left to join the Rebellion before he was even eighteen was that one of their agents had approached him with stretched propaganda? Her son would be smart enough to see through any deception quickly enough, but what if they wouldn't let him go for secrecy's sake?

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you use deception to twist their pliable minds for your 'cause'?" Her eyes had long been studying the men and, here and there, women. She had seen boys even as young as thirteen or fourteen. "Or has some need from the Council left its stink on you?" Confusion appeared in Elaina's eyes. "Do you use Yoda's lovely saying of 'too old' for youths as a daily motto in choosing your victims for your 'cause'?"

The confusion turned to a solid, unreadable emotion that could have been anger, hurt, or both.

"Master Yoda's 'saying' has never affected the ranks of the Rebellion…"

"Then why all the children?" The competition was just reaching its high point. "You have no right to yank a child from its parents…"

"They are orphans!" the woman exclaimed with a hiss, though clearly trying to keep herself under control. Kelly blankly stared. "We consider the age of self-decision for the volunteers the age of seventeen and older. The others are either orphans or simply the children of volunteers. The children here are only given menial tasks such as cleaning and fetching. If danger comes even somewhat close, they are all instantly moved to safety. We take no risk when it comes to future generations and we force no one, Raina."

Raina…she had been called Raina. That kicked in the realization that her rash conclusions had just ruined the first real conversation she and her sister had shared since…she couldn't even remember, though she knew it had been some time before her interest in the Sith had even somewhat unfolded, during the Clone Wars.

"El…" The subtle glare stopped her once. "Aylana…" Twice… Without another look, the general of the Rebellion stepped off the transport at the coaxing of a medic. Kelly brokenly stared at her twin's back until another physician came to escort her. Elaina seemed so different.

--

Forty-five minutes later, give or take, Elaina sat on a cot in the infirmary waiting for the doctor to finish with her as she waited for 'test results'. It was all absurdity to the woman, but that was only for herself. She had personally seen to it that the medical center was efficient, mobile, and comfortable. It was the jewel of the Rebellion. The Empire's best medical senior doctor could not even hope to compete with their surgeon.

Surprisingly, the only real physical problems with Elaina had been a mild concussion and a bruised rib, something she seemed to have a habit of gaining.

As soon as the doctor backed off, her most trusted officer came around the corner confidently…a least he looked confident. Upon his arrival at the Rebel base about a year earlier, Elaina had instantly seen the spark of strength in Qui-Gon. Of course, the fact that he possessed the name of her father, little did he know, may have helped in nudging her to the point of taking the lad under her wing.

Even when he had first arrived, Elaina had noted his strength of character, boldness, honesty, sense of honor, and knowledge of tactical strategy, weaponry, and technology, even though he had supposedly come from a poor district. Not only that, but Qui-Gon reminded the woman heavily of Obi-Wan in appearance. Seeing the boy frequently sent her down memory lane. She tried avoiding thinking of the fact that he had potential for great power regarding the Force.

"Ma'am," he addressed her formally, a rarity, "you sent for me." Elaina smiled at the fact that he never called her 'General' when speaking officially, only 'Ma'am'.

"It's alright, Qui-Gon. You're not in trouble for anything."

He instantly took advantage of the opening, giving his superior an enveloping hug. The Rebellion did require a certain amount order and the sense of the chain of command; however, their general closeness of ranks helped everyone worked together more efficiently. The Rebellion was more of a giant family than a plain, drilling army.

"Aylana, thank the stars you're safe! We were all so worried. I didn't know what to do when you didn't meet us, so I came here and reported."

He would have continued babbling, but she held up hand in interruption.

"You did the right thing, Qui-Gon. In fact, you did wonderfully!" He looked unbelievingly. "Really! I would have done the same thing myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! You were brilliant. In fact, I couldn't have done better given an entire day of planning. Qui-Gon, you have listened and learned well. You're hard work has paid off. Now," she continued to a different subject behind the young man, "aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"Nah, the shot hardly hit more than the surface," Kelly said, forcibly casual. "It looked worse than it was. I was…Qui-Gon?!" she suddenly squeaked, having approached the cot and catching a glimpse of the boy.

Qui-Gon similarly appeared dumbfounded as he gaped.

Elaina simply sat between the two, confused and observant.

Qui-Gon was the first to speak, croaking,

"Mother?!"

"Mother?!" Elaina echoed. Not even an hour before, she could have sworn that Kelly's eyes were black, hence calling her Raina, due to her wayward mind (it seemed that the hallucinations were taking a queer, new turn). From Raina to 'Mother' of her most trusted officer in an hour…Elaina had a lot to relearn about her sister.

Poor Kelly. She had just lost her beloved husband…if Qui-Gon…oh, the boy would be heartbroken!

"You're his mother?" she asked again.

"Yes," was Kelly's plain, staggered reply.

The shock was insurmountable as no one seemed to be able to speak for a long period of time…until the younger twin decided to pipe up, slowly.

"Qui-Gon, I have something…to tell about today's events…"

Thanks for reading and please review!


	10. Victory or Death

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Ok, DragonRider2000's character is "Jaylyn Erassa," who will be introduced in this chapter. Again, congrats!

Victory or Death

Finished with her explanation, Kelly suddenly broke down in tears, unable to keep up the façade of strength. Her son, after moment, awkwardly patted her back. Either he was too shocked by the news to do anything or Elaina had ground the ideals of soldier into him to the point of indifference. Grief turning to anger, the woman looked up from Qui-Gon's shoulder to gaze at his leader; the leader, however, was still sitting on the cot, scratching dried blood from her hand.

Kelly had to yet again remind herself that her sister had been through the unimaginable and lived.

For the first time since their reunion, the Knight studied the other sibling as another doctor approached the bed. While in general the same, many things had changed about Elaina. Though years before, her skin had been nearly as pale as parchment, it now possessed a much healthier hue; however, it was still a bit on the white side. Her hair no longer had the gift of changing with her moods and had settled with a reasonable blond, though what shocked Kelly was that the hair remained even shorter than a certain lightsaber had left it…it was actually a rather nice look for her.

Surprisingly enough, Elaina was wearing pants rather than a skirt as she had always done. And her face! Her eyes had even more depth than before (if that was possible) and her smile came far more frequently as she spoke with the doctor nearby, even if it did contain a certain knowing sadness. Suddenly, Qui-Gon's voice broke her reverie.

"Mother…" For a moment, it cracked; however, when the woman looked at him, his jaw was set. "Mother, I have duties that require my attention. I hope to soon see you back in action, General." Upon hearing the title, Elaina looked towards him in shock. "…Doctor." The final word was whispered, but clearly heard by the person whose face Kelly had not yet seen. As the woman turned around, she noticed the reason for Elaina's gaiety.

The girl's smile was welcoming, full of care, though it had clearly seen hard times, and was framed by well-tinted, shapely, but not overly plump lips. Her eyes were medium-sized emeralds nestled in the depths of long, dark eyelashes, and her oval, well-tanned face was in turn bordered by middle-parted, blond, shoulder-length hair, held back in a pony tail and possessing two approximately half-inch wide streaks of black for grown-out bangs. The only blemish was a thin, white scar which curved around her right eye, cutting through an angular, dark eyebrow.

Concerning the rest of her, the doctor was somewhat tall compared to the average woman, like Kelly, thin, but with a fair amount of muscle, as evidenced from the long arms which emerged from the sleeveless, brown top, and having a fair amount of a shapely figure, though not exaggerated. All in all, she was quite exquisite and clearly a fit warrior...but that innocent smile nearly threw that line of thinking out the window.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kelly," Elaina chuckled as the other woman handed her a change of clothes from a nearby tray. "Where are my manners? This lovely lady came here from pirating, joined the normal ranks of the Rebellion, and ended up stuck at Lieutenant handing out emergency rations…until we discovered that she had more talent than she was letting on…"

"Do you have to keep bringing that up, Lana?" the doctor groaned musically with a sweet voice to match the mouth, while her eyes were presently sending daggers in Elaina's direction.

"Sorry…Kelly, I'd like you to meet our chief surgeon, the best in the galaxy: Dr. Jaylyn Erassa."

"Now, I wouldn't go that far," Jaylyn chided humbly, going to shake Kelly's hand. "And you can just call me Jay."

With everyone's attention apparently in the other direction, Elaina proceeded to swing her legs around to the opposite side of the cot and change her clothes. Even if she was still intrigued by the surgeon facing her, Kelly couldn't help but notice the suddenly apparent back of her twin. Most of the once-flawless, envy-worthy flesh was replaced by a painfully obvious battle scar.

Noticing the brunette's suddenly alternate interest, Jay turned around just before the scar was covered by the new shirt. The doctor was biting her lip when she turned back and acted as if an explanation was necessary.

"That was already there when I first became surgeon…I primarily noticed it during a round of general physicals. We had the technology at the time to rid her of it, but she refused. I don't know…"

"There's no need for an explanation," Kelly interrupted. "Aylana can be stubborn with the strangest of things." While outwardly calm, she was revolted and guilt-laden internally. Why couldn't Elaina have gotten rid of that horrible reminder as soon as possible? It made her sick just thinking of it!

"Soooo, how do you and Kelly know each other…other than your saving her from the Empire?"

Swiftly, but smoothly, Elaina turned her head in warning. Kelly cringed. She must have heard…oh… Clearing her throat, she replied,

"We, uh…used to work together…"

"Hmm…"

--

"We are approaching the planet Yavin. The Rebel base is on a moon on the far side. We are preparing to orbit the planet," the disembodied voice of the intercom stated. Tarkin then turned to the black mass nearby.

"Now, Lord Vader, I know that you didn't drop by just to chat about technical worries."

Pause.

"My Master specifically demanded for the delivery of Elaina Jinn to his presence…alive."

"Your point?"

"How do you plan on getting her back onto the station before you destroy the base?"

"Since the Emperor's Ally seems to have temporarily fallen to the background of her consciousness, I plan to send a reinforcement dosage of it with one of our agents before we are within range."

--

"Now," Elaina chirped upon emerging from the infirmary, rubbing her hands together in anticipation, but feeling much relieved after having changed into the baggy, long-sleeve, white shirt, black pants, and boots, "to see what damage that rascal did to my ship."

"Ah!" Kelly called after the woman, yanking her back. "Remember what the doctor told you to do."

"You know how doctors always hold back the really bad news and exaggerate the minor issues!"

"Yeah, nearly a week of constant torture is minor." She then proceeded to shove Elaina towards the exit. "The doctor told you to take a nice long walk in the jungle before resuming your duties. That's what we're going to do."

"What are you, my nursemaid?" the blond whined, still resisting even as Kelly nudged her closer yet to the door ahead. "I can take a walk myself…it's not like it's that dangerous out there."

"Sure…I heard the other patients talking and your moon has some pretty weird animals."

Elaina simply growled in disgust, but finally walked towards the outdoors without prodding. Kelly gasped as her sister began slowly loping towards a half-hidden path in the bushes. She hadn't seen hardly a bush that she hadn't grown and tended herself in the desert, let alone a jungle-covered planet!

"Kelly, are we doing this or not!"

Ten minutes later, they had gone deep into the forest…enough to where Kelly could hardly see any light above them. Elaina had hardly said a word, as if walking with her beloved sister whom she hadn't for almost twenty years was an obligation rather than a rare enjoyment. What neither of them expected was the presence of a crashed fighter right in the path and a hole in the trees which it had come through.

Kelly instantly hopped into the craft and began hacking into the memory files.

"You'll never change, will you?" the older twin queried with sigh, scanning the underbrush for the wayward pilot. "You know…"

"Hold that thought," the other woman interrupted. "I think I…Ah, here we go."

The voices of the radio recording soon made themselves audible.

"Pilot…what you are doing is in direct violation of…return to…immediately…" A different voice answered the first. "No, I'll…free from the Empire…" With that, Kelly turned off the recording and stated lightly,

"Well, it seems the Empire has a deserter."

"Evidently…but where is he?"

"She, you mean?" a new voice announced.

Looking up, the former legends watched a dark, uniformed figure as it leaped down from a low branch and landed on the ground in a rather cat-like fashion.

"And you're…"

"Kinasha, former pilot and, yes, deserter of the Empire," was the rich, alto reply, "…one of my former coworkers managed to get a decent shot at me before I was out of range."

Suddenly, the figure of a man appeared behind Kinasha. Her languid, sleek form acted as lightening as a knife appeared in her hand and was sent streaking towards the apparent pilot. He was only able to get out the word 'danger' before passing out forever.

"As I was about to say," the feline lady said simply, cleaning her dirtied blade on the grass as the siblings watched in shock, "the Empire dispatched an agent to bring you back beforehand." With that, she pointedly looked at Elaina prior to standing and smoothing her incredibly short, black hair. She wasn't really pretty, just exotic…with that catlike grace and appearance. Every angle of her aspect seemed exaggerated.

"I suppose I should thank you," Elaina half questioned.

"You'll be thanking me for not killing you in a moment," the abruptly creepy hiss startlingly pointed out before Kinasha went bounding up into the trees and disappeared.

"Kinasha! Great, she's gone. We'd better go before she decides to come back again."

A rustle came from overhead, along with the glow of yellow eyes in the growing darkness.

"Too late."

With an otherworldly screech, the alien landed right on top of Elaina, causing the girl to collapse under the initial pressure. Kelly dashed towards the scene, but stopped as 'Kinasha', if that was even her name, stared up at the defender with a syringe suspended over Elaina's neck; it was apparently also the reason for Elaina's lack of struggle. The threat was promptly countered by Kelly, who called her lightsaber from her belt with the Force and engaged it, temporarily stunning the foe, whose mouth dropped open.

"Is that a…?" she murmured, loosening her grip. Without hesitation, Elaina flicked herself forward, banging head to head, and proceeded to execute several well-aimed kicks and punches before the brunette finished the job.

"Are you alright?" Kelly asked quickly.

"Yes," was the reply as the former hostage snatched up the syringe from the ground. "I think I know what this is."

Without a moment more to waste, they bounded off together back down the way they had come.

"What is it?"

"I think it's a dose of what they gave me while I was a prisoner on the station. I have a feeling that it will be used more in the future and we need to find an antidote."

--

"Hey, Luke," Han called out as the boy started walking away after a little argument. "May the Force be with you." With an exchanged wink and wave, the kid went off to prepare for his suicide mission. Chewie promptly growled his complaint. "What're you looking at? I know what I'm doing. Hey, Aylana!" The young woman had just caught his eye as she passed into sight range from behind one of the fighters nearby.

"Hello, Captain," the girl replied with that cute little accent. "Running with your trophy already? I'm surprised you didn't take the princess as well."

"Ah, come on…not you too!"

"Hey, I'm just saying…many men have tried catching Leia's eye and all have failed. What makes you so different other than running away from a chance to impress her?"

"Maybe no one has succeeded because you never cease guarding her like a confounded watchdog."

A smile played on the strange woman's lips.

"Well, I am her bodyguard."

Han waved her away and continued with his loading. She started to walk away, but stopped, changing her mind.

"What now?"

"Ever heard of Jaylyn Erassa?"

"Ne…" he said quickly, cutting off just as fast. Shocked, Han stopped his work and looked up. "Jay? Jaylyn Erassa? You're kidding!"

"No…"

"Jay and I worked together for over a year before she disappeared about two years ago. What about her? Where is she?"

"It's been a long time, Han," someone commented, causing the pirate to turn towards the tall woman who was approaching the Falcon in order to make way for the outgoing fighters.

"Jay…I…" Then he looked at Aylana in disbelief. "How did you…?"

"Jay, our chief surgeon, told me one time that she worked with a pirate named Han Solo. Just a few minutes ago, the name clicked and I went to fetch her before you left."

Jay took a moment to look Han up and down before heading back to her lair.

"See you around, Han."

After a second, the man turned back to Aylana in continued shock.

"Why does it seem that everyone is against me today?!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, I don't know," the girl responded coyly. Then, something caught her attention. "Kelly, what are you doing?"

Kelly stopped halfway up the ladder of a fighter to grin at the party below.

"I was born for the stars, ladies and gents. Nothing can stop me!" With that, she entered the vehicle.

"Good luck," the blond woman whispered, her eyes suddenly downcast. That lady was strange. For some reason, the moment was awkward. They stood there for a little while staring at one another undauntedly as Chewie continued working. Finally, the spell broke, Aylana moved forward, grabbed one of the cases, and threw it at the captain.

"Wha…"

"Go enjoy life…you and your great lummox. At least someone will live to tell our tale if we don't make it through this."

"Hey," Han quickly put in, his soft side coming out, "you don't have to do this. You can come with me and Chewie."

Her bitter bark of a laugh cut him off.

"Han, you do not understand. For almost twenty years, I have been hiding my identity, just as I did twenty years before that. In both segments, I have been willing to die for what I believe. Now will not be different."

"Lana, you're starting to sound like that crazy old man."

She was furious…and it was honestly frightening, but Han held his ground.

"Good! That means that I didn't fail nearly as much as I thought in being a Jedi."

"A what?" Suddenly that ground was a bit shaky.

"I was a Jedi Knight…a Master…it was my life. My life was destroyed with the Great Purge. Everything I knew and cared for disappeared…my position, my family, the Republic, the order, my padawan, and the man I loved. No, Captain, I have nothing left but this Rebellion. I will stay with them in victory or death. Your fate is your own decision."

There were a few seconds where nothing happened…literally nothing. The pilots had all flown away and everyone else was inside the bunker attending to their duties.

"Alright," Han said quietly backing towards the ready Falcon, "…so…see you around."

"Good luck," she replied, turning away, "…in battle."

Shaking his head in confusion, the man trotted up the ramp, determined to save his own neck.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	11. Daybreak

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Daybreak

"You hare-brained, bloodthirsty goat's bladder! The last thing I'm going to do is have my fighters going after a one-in-a-million chance of victory! And if you think I'm being irrational, just look at that projection. The opening is two meters wide, from what I hear. Have you seen the size of that thing?! You'd have to be an Anakin Skywalker to hit that!"

Upon arriving in the war room, the first thing Elaina had listened in on was an overview by the commanders of their slim-chance plan. Leia had tried reaching her bodyguard before she had the chance to get in another squabble with General Jan Dodonna, who had served the galaxy's military in one way or another since before the Clone Wars…unfortunately, the princess had been unable to reach the duo in time and settled on trying to watch the giant display of most everyone's focus.

"Aylana, what would you have me do?" the learned man replied, as always, trying to keep calm in the face of his somewhat equal's fury: a task in which he nearly always failed. "There are no other options. If we don't do something, they'll destroy the Rebellion without a fight and all hope for freedom will be lost…and don't give me that look, because it's true."

Elaina had taken to giving Dodonna a rather withering glance.

"Jan, you can't just send dozens of men and boys off to their deaths like that. We could have found another, bigger, better opening than what you're trying to hit. We don't have enough ships and fire power to do this. They need more cover…"

"Do have any better ideas?"

At that, the woman sighed reluctantly, something that shocked Leia with its defeated air. Maybe that stay in the station had done a little more to alter Elaina than anyone had thought.

"You're right." She shrugged, rubbing her focus-creased forehead with her hand. Leia almost now had to strain to continue her covert listening. Any moment now, havoc would break out between those two again. "We don't have the time for anything else. If only Captain Solo hadn't…ah, never mind. They still need more cover though. I could have my ship ready in just a couple minutes. I just need to find Commander Qui-Gon and…"

"I'm in position and waiting for orders, General," the voice of the just-named officer piped up over the com at the display station. The blond gaped as Jan went to reply.

"Good, Commander. Stand by until the fighters begin their assault; then, give cover fire."

"Yes, Sir."

He then turned to the stunned, if livid, girl behind him.

"I'm sorry, Aylana, but we need you here in case things go badly. I didn't tell you about the_ Mace Windu_'s launch because I knew you would insist on being there."

"You…" she began, but the princess finally intervened.

"General Dodonna did not make this decision alone, Aylana. We agreed that you weren't recovered enough to yet undertake such a task. Qui-Gon is more than capable of filling in for you," she cooed conclusively, trying to avoid being the stern superior with her life-long mentor. Elaina's glare turned to her.

"Leia, you have no right to send my ship…"

Dodonna promptly lost patience.

"General Jinn, I know that you and those under your authority have some difficulty in respecting the normal chain of command and that you did indeed gain your title by exemplary leadership and counsel; however, the renowned impudence of your forces only holds so much of my respect for the part you've played in the growth of this Alliance and my patience only goes so far. You may have been a Jedi Master during the Clone Wars, the princess' teacher of most everything she knows, and a trusted favorite of Bail Organa, may our efforts forever honor his name…but, your well-deserved title and reputation does not give you the actual authority to tell me what I can and cannot do. Do we understand each other?"

"General," Leia began.

"What?" both leaders testily queried, looking at her from their cock-fight stances.

"General Dodonna," the woman continued, steeling her tone, "I believe you have some things to attend to. We cannot have dissention among our ranks at such a critical time."

"As you wish, my lady," the man answered, nodding and striding away.

"Aylana, why do you always have to find conflict with him?"

The other girl was easily able to look her straight in the eye as they were quite close in height.

"Leia, I am not responsible for his fumbling."

There was a moment of unbelieving silence and Leia decided to curve the subject in a different direction.

"I've put you in charge of evacuation preparations. Even if we do succeed, we won't be able to stay here very long at all. The Empire's fleet will bear the Emperor's vengeance."

"I thought I wasn't competent enough to lead anything."

"Now, I didn't say that!"

"No, I'll do what you ask, Your Highness, but if my ship and its crew are destroyed in this, you'll have both me and Kelly to face."

Shaking her head as Elaina walked out, the brunette turned back to the display as Luke's alarmed note came through.

"Kelly just jumped to lightspeed! What'd she do that for?"

"Forget about it, Luke," another pilot reproached him. "Just focus on the goal."

--

"There, all fixed!" Dr. Erassa rejoiced, smiling at the little boy on the cot with his arm bandaged and in a sling. "Now, no more running around full-speed on the ruins outside, ok?" A cheeky grin and nod were the traditional thanks of the fool-hardy children around the base.

"Thank you so much," the stout, middle-aged woman nearby said, the sleeves of her faded uniform still rolled up from the volunteer cleaning of some mechanical part.

"Hey, it's my job." Sighing in contented satisfaction as the duo left, Jay was rather surprised as Aylana stiffly entered the infirmary. "What did you do now?"

"I did nothing," the woman puffed, slumping down into a chair along the wall. "You know, every time I try to help or give input concerning an important decision anymore, I'm simply brushed off!"

Satisfied overall, the taller lady simply leaned against the cot the boy had just been sitting on.

"Well?"

"Leia dispatched my ship with Qui-Gon…" The young man's name sent something jumping inside Jay, but she quickly suppressed it. "…and she wants me to oversee the evacuation preparations."

"Then…why are you here?"

"I already checked with the other departments and they have everything under control, leaving me feeling useless, so I decided to come here since this is where the wounded will be coming afterwards…if there are any wounded."

"What encouraging words from our distinguished leader!" She got a lighthearted glare for the sarcasm. "For the moment, we can get supplies together, but later I would like to show you the test results for that syringe you brought in."

--

"Yes, I made the right decision!" Han snapped, randomly looking at the sensors. "Now would you…hey wait…I'm getting something. There's a distress signal coming from just a little ways ahead. It's not an Imperial code. I think it might be Alliance-related." Chewie chuckled. "No, I don't care…just drop us out of lightspeed."

As they floated towards the small fighter, the man noticed its lack of activity; he however attempted contact anyway.

"Stranded…vessel," he began awkwardly. Chewie whined an insult. "What? Do you have any better ideas?" Pause. "Whatever…Stranded vessel, this is the captain of the _Millennium Falcon_. We detected your distress signal and are prepared to assist. Please respond." No response. "Stranded vessel…"

Chewie interrupted him, pointing at the com screen. It read,

"Having communication difficulty. Will need a lift."

Han again hit the com button.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

Once more, the stranger's dialogue came in writing.

"Hatch on bottom. Have enough power. Will come to you."

"And how do you…"

Suddenly, the craft began slowly putting towards the _Falcon_ with an unseen power source as its engine appeared completely fried. It then positioned itself on the ship's top hatch and locked on. Without a second thought, Han stood, saying to the first mate,

"Well, shall we greet our guest in need?"

Once in view of the hatch, both males stopped dead in their tracks. Stepping out of the access tube, muttering indecipherable phrases mingled with 'blasted' and 'blazing', and dressed in an orange pilot's uniform was Kelly Kenobi. The captain was speechless, but the lady had plenty to say.

"I manually detached my ship, so you won't have to tote it around…but I was starting to like that boat! You know, a good ship, one that just moves with you, is hard to find! And that was the only one the Alliance had. So, you'd better be worth it!"

"I…I'm flattered," the man stammered, much to Chewie's constant amusement.

"Don't get a big head, Cap," Kelly warned, passing the duo up and heading towards the cockpit. "We need to make a U-turn."

"Hey, just because I saved you, doesn't mean that you automatically become in charge."

"You didn't save me. I set myself up for you to find."

"Well…well, what about the damaged engine and the communication problem?"

Upon reaching the 'living space', she paused to haughtily explain her supposed genius.

"I knew that my engines would overload to a certain extent with me trying to outrun you, but it proved to greatly add to the effect. As for the com link…it was fried along with the engine when I jumped out of hyperspace…I of course knew ahead of time that using the com would simply alert you to the deception, so that was no problem. It all fit perfectly into my plan of catching up with you."

"And how you managed to reach my ship without engine power…?"

A grin broke out on her face and she lightly punched Han in the shoulder.

"A little bit of the old-fashioned styles left in me. As for the need of turning around…" With that, she made for the cockpit, but Han blocked her way.

"Listen, Kel. If we go into that mess, we're not getting out of it."

Kelly's face sobered slightly.

"If you don't go in, none of those people will get out."

"What are you talking about? They're doing just fine without one more ship."

He went to turn around and continue their getaway course (not quite sure what they would do with the unflappable widow), but the woman grabbed his arm, unexpectedly desperate.

"Han, the Death Star is nearly upon the base! We're out-manned and by far out-gunned. We need your help."

There was a moment of silence. The pirate knew that he would probably risk the lives of hundreds of innocents in not turning around, but he might as well shoot himself right then and there if he did turn around and risk Jabba's wrath and bounty.

"They'll do just fine without me."

"All you went through to get the princess, Elaina, and the plans to safety, and you're willing to simply lay all that at the Emperor's feet for him to crush! Fine! The princess' head won't be my problem…even if she was starting to like you."

Like?

"She what?" he vocalized childishly, earning a predatory glance from Kelly.

Death or death?

Chewie voiced his approval of the girl's demand.

"Well?"

"Fine!" he finally cried, plopping back down into his chair and setting the coordinates. "I always did prefer the idea of dying in a fight. I assumed it would be my battle though," he quietly finished.

Kelly smiled kindly over his shoulder.

"It is your battle, now."

--

Biggs, his childhood friend, was dead, most of the fighters were gone, Qui-Gon was somewhere nearby giving cover fire against most of the station's defenses, and time was running out. With enemy ships closing in from behind, Luke only had so much time to shoot before he was targeted and shot down, too.

At the moment, his main focus of frustration was the targeting computer. He couldn't concentrate. He felt tense, angry, determined…and being chased that second was not helping even one bit. He was almost there…

"Use the Force, Luke," a familiar voice suddenly suggested. Ben? He was dead and gone. There was no way he could be hearing that voice unless he was going as crazy as (rumor pointed) Aylana! Set on his goal, Luke tried once again using the computer, but this time Ben insisted. "Let go, Luke!"

Resigned, the boy switched off the computer and calmed himself. The moment he did that, however, another voice came over the com.

"Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?"

"Nothing; I'm all right," he replied hopefully before muttering, "…I think."

For another minute, he concentrated and almost felt as though he knew where the target was; however, he was soon interrupted as one of the fighters behind him fired, thoroughly cooking his little droid.

"I've lost R2!" he couldn't help but yell and then cringed at what Ben would have said: let go… He couldn't help but feel like the whole galaxy depended on him…and it did! If he didn't succeed in destroying the station, the Rebellion would have to rebuild two decades' worth of work. The enemy was getting closer and the young man simply felt too pressured by it…he couldn't…

The lead pursuer fired, but missed as one of his wingmen was hit. Who…?

"Yahooooo!" Han's ecstatic holler came echoing. In surprise, the other wingman hit his leader, destroying himself and temporarily decommissioning the other. "You're all clear, kid. Now, let's blow this thing and go home!"

Luke simply smiled, happy that he would be able to properly use his rookie ability. He fired, but there was one more second of tension until he saw with relief that he had succeeded. Now, his job was to get away as fast as possible before the hopeful destruction of the threat.

Suddenly, a great lightshow started behind him as the Death Star exploded.

"Great shot, kid!" Han called victoriously. "That was one in a million."

Simply content at not failing, he let go of the tension that had been building.

"Remember," Ben's voice concluded reassuringly, "the Force will be with you…always."

Thanks for reading and please review!


	12. Unfinished Business

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Vertical Horizon's "Forever" goes with scene 4 and Jo Dee Messina's "If Heaven Was Needing a Hero" is w/ scene 5…

Unfinished Business

As they landed in the hangar, ready to celebrate, Kelly was quite surprised as the captain, whose shoulder she was still leaning over, impulsively gave her a resounding kiss on the cheek, winning an amused chuckle from the Wookie. As she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, Han didn't even seem to notice. Instead, he motioned to her to let him out of his chair, loudly saying,

"Come on! Let's go congratulate our fellow hero of the day."

"Wait!" the woman called halfway into the sitting room, shuffling through a pile Han had made before his previous departure. Han paused in his excitement.

"Why did you chase after me…really?"

Kelly cleared her throat.

"Well, uh, Leia seems quite taken with you."

"Are you kidding? That woman insists that she can't stand me. And if she doesn't want…"

"We're women!" she cut in, stating what was obvious to her. "We don't know what we want until it's too late most of the time. Now," the brunette concluded, bringing her overly used bag from the depths of Han's refuse, "this was my real reason for coming. Other than my lightsaber, this bag contains everything left of my home. You didn't think I'd let you trash it, did you?"

"Sure…let's go and see how the kid is doing, shall we?"

"Of course."

With that, they followed Chewie down the ramp and towards the small, crowd-surrounded fighter that Luke was descending from. Pushing their way through the crowd, they sprinted towards the boy, Han going straight for a hug.

"I knew you'd come back, I just knew it!" Luke laughed.

"Well," the other man replied, "I wasn't gonna let you get all the credit and take all the reward."

"Ah, but you forget, sir," Kelly argued, joining Leia in moving between the men (she made sure that Leia was closer to Han), "that it was I who chased after you and dragged you back by the ear."

"Well…I was already about to do that anyway."

They all laughed and the princess joined in on the conversation in demeaning the pirate.

"Hey, I knew there was more to you than money." Of course, Han and Kelly shared a knowing look at Leia's approval.

Kelly's unknowing nephew however lost some of his enthusiasm when R2 was lowered from the ship looking quite cooked. As everyone worried over the little droid, the widow caught sight of something peculiar: what looked like a brown robe disappearing behind a fighter some ways away.

"Excuse me," she muttered absently to the pilot she had just bumped into before jogging to the suspected spot.

Nothing was there.

Growling, she looked around between the mass of seemingly endless starships and fighters. Again, there was a flash of un-Rebel-like clothing a ways off. Again she ran towards it.

Again, there was nothing in sight.

Three more rounds of this aggravated her exponentially. Finally, her patience gave out.

"Ah, come on!!!" Two service boys stopped their chattering to stare in shock. "Buzz off!"

"Sorry, Ma'am…Yes, Ma'am," they both said, quickly evacuating the area.

Once more, the figure appeared, but when Kelly didn't fall for it, it reappeared and showed its face.

"Ben!"

But he was gone.

--

The infirmary was far from full, considering the number of casualties…of course, it wasn't surprising as most of the casualties died instantly with their vaporizing ships. As medical centers go, it was an incredibly depressing sight. Many attention-requiring survivors had horrifying burns that would mar them for life, especially with the less-than-marvelous technology at their disposal.

Elaina, along with the nurses and doctors, went amongst the small throng, herself ministering to the more minor injuries due to her lack of as much training in comparison with her peers. Puffy white sleeves rolled up and spattered with blood from one particular emergency patient, the woman presently bandaged the burned abdomen of a young service cadet who had snuck into the collective of pilots during takeoff. It rather reminded her of one other boy long in the past who had been swept up by the thrill of battle long before his time.

"Jeneth, how did you manage to do this…going into solo-flying battle at only fourteen?"

"Commander Qui-Gon has been giving me lessons, General. He says…that I have great potential," he answered, cringing as his superior finished the dressing with slightly above-normal vigor.

"I told him not to start training padawans until they were at least sixteen."

"…'padawans', Ma'am?" It was Elaina's turn to cringe…Aylana, she reminded herself. But Kelly was right. Changing her name did not change what she was.

"Nothing…"

"According to Qui-Gon, you knew someone who started solo-piloting when he was only nine."

"And that young man is now dead because he wasn't properly looked after and eased into…" The sentence was bit off as…Elaina realized her heightening tone. She couldn't help but see the young strapping men that were her responsibility and be reminded of her failure to guide Anakin through the family trials which broke him, especially when Qui-Gon and Jeneth were both Force-sensitive.

"General?" he queried. Elaina laughed and scrubbed the annoyed boy's shaggy dark hair with her leather-gloved hand.

"Teenage rebellion in the Rebellion…now put your shirt on and find Qui-Gon to bother. He'll probably be neglecting his duties with Kelly."

"Kelly, Ma'am?" Jeneth queried while starting to comply.

"The woman I was brought into the infirmary with after the last time I saw you…"

"Oh right, her…sure. And then, can I take some down time?"

"Definitely. You need to recuperate anyway. You'll have until the evacuation starts in two days' time…oh, and Jeneth."

"Uh-huh?"

"Please don't do anything like that again. I have enough of a hard time with the normal leaders because my command is so unconventional in comparison."

He smiled knowingly. Being under the command of Princess Leia's bodyguard was like being the elite, family-like police force of a planet while the Empire's stiff, robotic forces were occupying.

--

The next day, Leia, wearing a simple, flowing, low cut, white dress with a silver belt and necklace and her hair in an elaborate, braided bun, smiled comfortably at her formally stationed bodyguard. The heroes of the day, Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Kelly, and Qui-Gon (for his bold defense of the planet against preliminary enemy fighters, putting his commanded ship and crew in great danger), were approaching to receive medals of honor in a grand ceremony.

Elaina was, as always, somewhat similarly dressed as her charge to designate her special position. She wore white boots quite like what she had worn in the recent past, white…pants (as usual), though they flowed enough to appear as a skirt, a gracefully draping top with similar sleeves and a neckline that cut straight across her chest and partially bared her shoulders, and a simple chain of silver around her neck…plus the traditional brass ring on her right hand…a ring of mysterious origins that was frequently a subject of Leia's musings. Her choppy hair had been styled in the back so as to slightly stick outwards…in a graceful fashion, of course.

The woman seemed perfectly dressed for such a peaceful and official occurrence except for the dark silhouette in her enveloping sleeve of her prized gun.

With the recipients standing in front of her, she took a medallion from the assisting General Dodonna and placed it around the neck of Han, who winked at her unsurprisingly, followed by the others. There was something special, however, about Luke. It wasn't that he was particularly handsome (especially, she grudgingly admitted, compared to Han), but there was a certain amount of honesty and innocence…maybe not even that…that made him different.

She could definitely tell that the honoraries were enjoying themselves as the whole assembly bowed for a full ten seconds and cheered for another twenty…then they all promptly cut off in anticipation of the oncoming rarity of fresh food some volunteers had tended in the convenient climate…plus the even rarer occurrence of free drinks. Everyone knew that the festivities would only last so long and the morning would bring along the business of evacuation.

"My lady…"

The princess turned slightly to face her protector, whose eyes purposefully showed no visible emotion. Clearly, Elaina was still mad concerning Dodonna and the battle-related restraints.

"What is it, Aylana?" she answered evenly to the tangy tone.

"Do you plan on mingling with the crowd or returning to your quarters, or…"

"I'll mingle." The blond moved to lead. "…and you should pack."

"My lady?"

"I hear you've done an excellent job of planning for the evacuation tomorrow…tomorrow being the key word. For the rest of the day, I need you to relax and take care of personal matters, whatever they may be."

"Leia, at least let me assign a couple of my men to…"

"No, Aylana, I'll be perfectly fine with our new friends. Go."

There was a moment of Elaina's usual inner fight of weighing the pros and cons, but she quickly came to a decision, stiffly nodding to the princess in respect and moving towards the back entrance.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

"Would you like to walk with us, Princess," Han queried, graciously holding his arm out for her to take.

"Yes, I would," she said, defiantly looping her arm around that of Luke, who was also standing close at hand, earning a baffled gape from the captain.

--

Having left the celebration as soon as possible, Kelly entered the spacious room she had been offered and peeked through the incredibly neat pile of clothes given to her obviously by Elaina. Her old bag had been gently placed on a black wood, cushioned chair next to the full-size window facing the forest, which she promptly approached and opened, making a mental note to thank her twin for the considerably nice accommodations, complete with a plush, large maroon bed and adjacent bathroom with an old-fashioned polished tub.

From the pouch, she procured some of the items, including a brass necklace, a small gold ring, and a smooth stone hairbrush, all of which she placed on the bed. Sifting in the pile, Kelly lifted her lip several times in distaste at several things she would have long ago snatched up instantly in temporal romance, but finally found her momentary liking: a loose, bluish-grey toga-like dress with pale blue clips that held both shoulder- exposing sleeves together and a skirt that reached her shins.

Eager to jump into a nice hot bath, she began struggling with the innumerable tiny buttons on the back of her formal ankle-length, soft pink gown, distracted by her thoughts…wishing that someone else had been there to see their son be publicly credited. Annoyed by her present plight, the woman gruffly blew a dark strand of her up-done hair from her face and glared at the exotic flower pattern of the dress.

"Do you need a little help?" someone asked from behind.

"It would be…" She paused uncertainly, turning around to face the voice's owner. "…nice. Ben…"

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help with your problem, but wasn't that dress going to be used for emergency rags, anyway."

Pause.

"Good point," Kelly commented, ripping the buttons apart, stepping out of the dress, kicking it aside, grabbing a robe, and going to start the filling of her bath. When she returned, the glowing figure of Obi-Wan was still there. "I suppose you watched the ceremony."

"From a distance."

"Ok, why are you really here? I know it's not just to say goodbye and see your beloved wife again."

"What makes you say that?"

"Ben, we were married for almost twenty years. I think I know you well enough."

He laughed.

"My dear…I came for two particular reasons."

There was another pause.

"Well?"

"Kelly, I wanted to ask a favor of you concerning Luke." With that, he stood to pace around the room. "Because his choices in life will greatly affect the fate of this galaxy, it was my intention to guide, watch, and protect him so that he may fulfill his destiny."

"And you want me to be your replacement…be Luke's bodyguard like Elaina is for Leia."

"I suppose."

"Very well. I'll do it. What was the other thing?"

Her deceased spouse sat down next to her. She could feel his ethereal embrace and his ghostly forehead resting on her shoulder.

"I want you to know that I'll always be there for you, no matter what." She could feel him disappearing. "I'll always be with you." Even though he was gone, the girl could indeed feel him there.

"I'll always feel you," she whispered, still wishing that she wasn't alone in the galaxy. No one else would ever replace what that man had given her.

Her attention was called away by the nearly overflowing tub, but Kelly quickly came back to grasp one of the set-aside items on the bed before enjoying her rare luxury. Once perfectly calmed by the steamy water, she opened her fist, put the ring on her left ring finger, and began twirling it around, once more deep in thought.

Since, in the terms of Tatooine, they had been incredibly poor from the very start, Obi-Wan had been unable to buy a wedding ring for his new bride. Of course, Kelly didn't mind in the least. A wedding ring was the least of her concerns. In a moment of desperation for more action than their life provided, he had some time later gone to assist another Jedi on another planet.

She didn't know how, but he had returned with the ring she now wore. The stunning piece of jewelry had the ability to store chosen memories for future reference. Originally, it had been designed for undercover missions in gathering intelligence. In Kelly's case, it was the storehouse of all her important memories, mostly concerning Obi-Wan, though there were occasions which included other people, including her sister, Padme, and both Qui-Gons.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her first real encounter with her love and let the memories unfold.

--

As she closed the door behind her, Elaina ripped off her silver necklace and threw it across the room. Why was it that every time she seemed to gain some social standing, it was always ripped from her by deceit and mistrust?! Even Leia simply brushed her off! Leia, the girl she had practically raised, had sent her off duty like some half-wit cadet! Another burst of anger sent her ring flying off after the other jewelry.

She dove into the mass of blankets and screamed as loud as possible against the pillow muffler. Nothing seemed right since…the scream stopped and her head rose from the cushion…since her father's death. Ever since that fateful day, so many things had gone wrong: Kelly and Elaina's partnership was completely dissolved, they had both fallen for Obi-Wan, the Clone Wars had started…everything!

Of course, nothing could change past events, especially the most crucial: Anakin's turn to the dark side. Her mind instantly started ticking. But what would Qui-Gon have had to say about it? Probably some horrid lecture on the very idea, but what harm came with thinking? Much harm…

No, nothing could be done about anything but the present…and through the present, the future. Qui-Gon wouldn't encourage or comfort; he would only chastise. That sort of thinking had sent her on an eternal guilt trip! Only a miracle could answer her questions, but that miracle had been taken from her. She harbored so much anger and misery because of him.

The only thing which kept her humanly sane was a deeply-imbedded mask of strength of which only a few people knew the chink: her guilt…for Qui-Gon.

"You can't blame yourself for everything, you know."

"Oh, go away!" she cried, not looking back. "You have been no help whatsoever!"

"But you wanted to talk to me."

"I don't care what I said…or thought!"

"You need me."

"I don't need anybody!" She was sobbing now. "Please, just leave me alone with my own personal failures; I can handle myself, thank you very much."

"According to your outwardly incoherent babbling at night, I am one of those failures."

"Thanks, genius."

"You have a great future ahead of you…and a great destiny to fulfill."

"Me, great? You were great, a hero, the greatest man I ever knew, and I rejected your love. Death takes the greatest of us, the heroes. It just makes it harder for everyone else."

By that time, Elaina had calmed and Qui-Gon's ghost was into consult mode.

"I'm flattered; but the deaths of those you call great simply leave room for more to become greater."

"Father, I don't know what my destiny is. I know what it was and I failed. I am not what I once was."

He was obviously prepared to lower the boom.

"Didn't you say something similar to Kelly? According to both of us, you have not changed, only your strength of character, which is all but gone."

"What?!"

"You have superficial strength, but not the kind which will get you through what needs to be done. You must resume your training."

She was broken.

"But I'm not strong like you."

"You have the strength. All you need is to find it. Relearn the ways of the Force. I'll help you."

"I can't do it, Daddy." It sounded pitiful.

"You can. Just trust me and the galaxy will remember you as a hero."

"I don't care about being a hero as long as those of past are not slandered and forgotten. That's all there is to my purpose. But, if they don't let me help, how can I fulfill it?"

"Patience."

With that, he disappeared, leaving Elaina with an idea that was so preposterous that not even the Sith would care to think of it. But would she have the time?

"General Jinn?" a voice over the intercom queried.

"Go ahead."

"Princess Leia would like to inform you that your services will not be needed until the evacuation is complete. She requests that you recuperate from you doings prior to your return."

"Very well…" Well! She would have quite a lot of time if this kept up. The girl smoothly went the com. "General Jinn to the science lab."

"Hello?" the nasally feminine voice answered.

"Tell Dr…Zelishka that I would like to see him in my quarters immediately."

"Who?"

"Uh, Dr. Relin Zelishka. He's in charge of your technology department and when he gets angry, he babbles away in his native tongue."

"Oh, of course! Yes, I'll send him right in."

Little did the poor scientist know that his coming would start an incredible, secret project.

"Forgive me," she whispered, "Father."

Then, she remembered her tossed ring and began to look for it: her only reminder of Qui-Gon left.

Thanks for reading, please review, and don't forget about the poll!

Well, one down, two to go. Hope you enjoyed it so far!


	13. Just Hanging Out

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

So, Dr. Zelishka's babbling in his 'native tongue' is actually Czech. For those of you who may know the language, I got it from a free online translator, so forgive me for any technical blemishes. Enjoy!

Just Hanging Out

Three years had passed since the battle and evacuation of Yavin IV. In the chaos of flight from the approaching Imperial forces (however well-planned it had been), General Dodonna had sacrificed himself to give everyone else a safe getaway and was presumed dead.

Elaina had ground down to learning math, along with its annoying technicalities, in order to properly start her project (which no one knew the nature of except for her colleague, Dr. Zelishka). It took up practically all of her 'free' time…and it was rumored that the generally elusive bodyguard of the beloved princess was clinically insane (a rumor only partially suppressed eventually).

Kelly had instantly been taken in by the Rebellion as the brilliant warrior she had suppressed for quite some time, and although many thought it rather odd, it was well-known that she was the mother of the incredibly handsome and talented Qui-Gon Kenobi. She fit in perfectly, which rather surprised her in its contrast to the 'old days'.

In general, the twins had switched roles from those heartbreaking, longed-for 'old days'…except for the fact that Elaina was still more of an aspiring scholar, while Kelly was the action-loving heroine. Both were however striving to regain their slacking Force abilities.

They had spent over two years either in space or with allies who only sheltered them a few months at a time. Their wandering had finally landed them on Hoth, an ice-planet on the Outer Rim with original inhabitants being limited to a few fur-balled creatures with incredibly restricted intellect. They now waited in suspense for the day the Empire would once again discover them.

--

"_There! Happy?" Elaina chirped with a clipped tone, setting the marker down from her repeatedly-erased equations on the glass board and walking back to the waist-high table in the small room they had been given on the ship._

"_No, you don't understand! You can't just whip a diagram like that out of thin air!" her partner cried in desperation, going to the board and promptly swiping away all of the woman's well-thought-out proof._

_Elaina meanwhile plopped her forehead onto the metal surface of the desk, not knowing whether to go ahead and prove Zelishka wrong (as she knew with her excelling mathematical skills from the past two years…all of which had been spent learning the basics of the art and generally designing what the machine would be…eventually) or simply shrug her shoulders and walk out._

_Zelishka could meanwhile be heard muttering to himself in that strange language that no one else knew._

"_Člen určitý krátký parchant. JÁ mít trávit skoro má čistý duch. a ona cenit ona pocínovat spravedlivý."_

_Finally, the blond once more stood, strode over to the yammering scientist, rewrote her previous set of numbers and symbols, and indicated several points._

"_Oh," was the man's unwilling admittance. _

"_That's fine, Doctor." She replied soothingly, simply happy to have won the argument with such ease. "Even geniuses make mistakes."_

"_Relin…"_

"_What?"_

_He pushed his funny round spectacles back onto the actual bridge of his nose with one finger._

"_You can just call me Relin," he finished quickly, as if without meaning, then getting back to business. "You are doing excellently in this little pastime, but I was wondering if…well, what I mean is…" The funny man paused to look her in the eye. "…people skills. I think you've been taking this whole bodyguard thing a little too seriously." Elaina simply stared absently. "Ah_, _nestydatý! Forget I said anything."_

"_Very well…where were we?"_

Elaina glanced in the mirror as she tightened the bodice of her brown corset-vest which completed the rest of her attire, consisting in a somewhat low-cut long-swoop-sleeved, light blue, soft blouse, relatively close-fitting brown pants, knee-high leather boots, and her usual gun belt. She completed the fresh appearance with a finger-combing of her nearly-dry hair, which she had allowed to grow to the nape of her neck.

Walking to where a lovely window could have been, the blond sneered in disgust. Rather than finding a nice little warm, out-of-the-way planet with plenty of trees, her peers had chosen this giant ice cube! At least they hadn't openly called her crazy for a while since some of her random ideas did actually benefit their society.

A knock at the door alerted the woman to a visitor's presence. Assuming that it was her sister, she grabbed her coat and prepared to exit, only to find that the visitor was the scientist whose presence from which she had just escaped six hours before…five of which had been spent enjoying a precious few hours sleep.

Relin Zelishka was of average height and weight (like Luke) with shaggy, frizzy brown hair that could have used more than a simple brushing. Though the sliding spectacles gave him a certain air of intellect, the accented babbling which his mouth frequently produced did him no justice. He somehow kept making parallels between their head-turning accents, even though several other members of the Rebellion possessed similar drawls to Elaina, while Relin was one-of-a-kind.

"Can I help you, Doctor?" she asked the apparently nervous man. He hadn't noticed the coat hanging limply at her side.

"Well…I, uh…you…" he stuttered. The girl waited patiently, a trait she had finally regained after hours of practice. Dr. Zelishka finally composed himself. "I was wondering if you would like to get a drink…or breakfast…whichever you prefer…in the mess?"

However irritating her partner could be, Elaina's smile was genuine. He could be sweet when desired…maybe a little too sweet as of late.

"Any other time and I would say yes, Relin; but I promised Kelly that I would meet her in the gym."

"Oh," came the typical resignation. "…maybe another time then." He turned to go, but Elaina had a moment of weakness. "Relin, how about we take a couple of days off from our work. I'm sure you have other projects requiring your attention. Just make sure and save all the data we recorded."

"Very well."

The general nearly blushed as he left. It wasn't as if she was the type to fall for the sort of man who was all brawn and no brains, but she neither favored the complete nerds who were scared of their own shadow. She probably would have fallen for the roguish charms of Han Solo; however, his affections for Leia backed her away from the thought instantly, sending her into a mode of encouragement and caution towards the potential relationship between the pirate and the princess (almost poetic).

In fact, Elaina wasn't sure what kind of man she would 'fall for', as she hadn't given it much thought since her disaster with Obi-Wan. Many friends and colleagues, particularly her self-appointed confidante Dr. Erassa, had pushed her to pursue more personal associations with certain men in their company. The problem was: Elaina hadn't yet discovered her true 'type'…that is, the type that wouldn't abandon her at a minute's notice.

--

Qui-Gon slipped into the infirmary, hoping to get what he needed and tiptoe back out unnoticed. Luckily, no one was around, so he managed to approach the container holding basic bandaging in the corner and find a few of his presumably needed implements.

Suddenly, laughter came from further in the medical center and he became even more frantic as he struggled with scrounging with only his left hand while trying to hold onto what he had already found.

"This should keep the two of you in one piece until you can reach me. I know too well the patients your 'sparring sessions' have sent me the past couple of years. I'm sure Elaina will be no different," Jay's singing voice said lightheartedly.

"Oh, I'm not so sure! She's quite the fighter."

Mother!!!

Frantic became panic and he trotted towards the exit in a hurry when the two women emerged from the small storage room at the infirmary's opposite end.

"Don't even think about it, Commander!" the doctor called, calmly walking to one of the dozen cots and pointing at it. The near-escapee obediently complied, traversing the twenty or so feet between him and the amused women. As he sat down, Jay grabbed two random items from his armload. "An ankle brace and a sling. What did you plan on doing with these?"

He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks, realizing his mistake.

"Oops," Qui-Gon stated plainly. "I thought it was a wrist brace. Mother, what are you doing?" He was curious as to why Kelly's arms were loaded with bandaging and medication of all sorts. She simply grinned, but Jay was courteous enough to answer.

"She and Elaina are going to be doing a bit of sparring in the gym. Even though it's only a small brisk walk between here and there, I would prefer they traversed the distance on two feet rather than crawling." Her laugh was pure music.

"Well, Doctor," his mother said somewhat tersely, suddenly scowling at both of her companions for seemingly no reason, "patch him up as quickly as you can. I'm sure he has business to take care of."

"What was that about?" Jay questioned once Kelly had left.

"I'm not sure," was the partial reply. Qui-Gon casually watched the physician as she studied his throbbing right wrist. The twinges of pain caused by Jay's turning and gentle study of the injury nearly made him cringe. She then fetched a small scanner and suspended it over the wrist.

"Well, you definitely did a number on yourself, again," the woman concluded after a moment. "You know, sometimes I think you injure yourself on purpose just to come here."

"On purpose? You're crazy! Why would I want to come to the infirmary?"

A small smile simply crossed her face, as if words were not necessary, while she grabbed an actual wrist brace. He really did not appreciate those tight, restricting supports that supposedly helped broken bones heal. Why couldn't he just not move the limb for…oh, maybe a week?

"It's just a hairline fracture, but I would leave this on for about two weeks." The young man's eyes bulged, but the doctor simply completed her work with a sling and painkiller. "Now, how did you manage this?"

"Ah, I just gave it a nice twist trying to tweak the _Mace Windu_'s shield generator. What I was reaching for wasn't quite within range of grasp."

"You don't have to go any further. I think I get the idea," she chuckled. "Can you help me get something? There's a box that I just can't get to and my associates decided that they would need the ladder during their off time. They'll be back on shift in about half an hour, but I'd like to get started with this container before that happens. I think you're just the right height."

Qui-Gon graciously complied, following her to the supplies closet. Even if Jay was quite tall for a woman, he still surpassed her by an inch or two, though it seemed not quite enough to fetch this out-of-reach container if she of all people couldn't get to it.

--

"Well," Elaina queried lightly, standing beside a short table in the relatively large, white-walled room they had dubbed the 'gym', "which shall we use: guns, hands, or good old sticks?" With that, she picked up one of the nearly arm-length, polished fighting rods.

"Why not?!" Kelly said, dumping her jacket onto a chair, thinking with relief of the bandages she had stowed away in her bag. Elaina would be mummified in them by the time they were done. Kelly knew that because she herself had spent nearly every spare minute in the gym doing some sort of physical workout.

With a few swift movements, Elaina grabbed two of the rods, tossed them to her sister, and snatched two others for herself.

"So," the brunette began, expertly twirling her weapons, "how often do you come here?" With that, she attacked, only to find herself almost instantly on the floor. When she looked up, Elaina was casually studying the polish on one of her sticks.

"At least once a day…I practice with usually Leia or Qui-Gon, but when they're busy, there's always someone else."

--

"How are the shield generators doing?" Leia asked the middle-aged man presently in charge of the security controls.

"Just fine," he replied, watching the princess go to another panel from the corner of his eye. As soon as no one was within snooping range of his station, the technician discreetly began hacking into several key systems at his disposal. Once finished, he rose in fake illness. "I'm not feeling very well. This climate…" In a rush, he fled the control room, only to stop in an adjacent hallway.

Retrieving a small device from his jacket, the infiltrator flipped a switch and smiled with glee as a signal came through. Sending a message, he wandered deeper into the base, the alarmed cries of the real technicians following him.

"Someone has switched on an emergency lockdown of two sections of the base. I can't get in!"

"Where is the lockdown occurring?" another person asked.

"The infirmary and the gym…"

--

Luke picked up his pace in reaching the control room upon hearing the alerts.

"What's wrong?" he asked the princess instantly.

"Someone initiated a lockdown in the infirmary and gym. No one can get in or out of there because all the doors are sealed," Leia worried.

"Who's in those sections?"

"There's no telling! Whoever hacked their way in also disabled many of our detecting systems."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, Luke, we have to scout as much of this planet as possible. You're scheduled to go within the hour, so you should get ready."

--

Jay giggled in delight as Qui-Gon snatched another syringe from the carton.

"Hypnocane…it's a tranquilizer."

"Mm-hm!" the doctor triumphantly mused. Upon retrieving the requested container, the twenty-one-year-old man had begun asking questions about certain drugs in the holder's depths. That had led to a whole class of question/answer. Occasionally, Qui-Gon guessed a drug's name correctly to Jay's glee. "You'll be a doctor in no time."

"No thanks! I'm happy where I am."

"Are you sure?"

Before he could reply, the hissing sound of doors closing could be heard as the both previously open entrance and storage room shut. The friends glanced at each other in confusion. Why would the doors suddenly just seal for no apparent reason? There was no fire. No alarms of any kind had gone off.

"Maybe it's just a fluke," he offered, going over to the main door and attempting to use his good arm to pry it open. Even with all his fine muscle, Qui-Gon's effort was in vain.

"Well, if it's closed, there's no way of budging it. That door was designed to stall a whole regiment of stormtroopers."

"Thanks for the note." He seemed inclined to pace.

"Well, you're the commander. Any suggestions?"

"Patience."

"What?"

"Patience. If it's just a mistake, they'll figure it out soon. Don't you have an intercom so we can contact the control room?"

"Yeah, it's right outside that door on the wall. It was placed there rather than here because I didn't want any bad news to scare my patients. And my personal communicator is…well, I forgot it in my room last night 'cause I was late for my night shift."

"Brilliant…got any emergency rations? We might be here a while."

--

Kelly rolled away and nearly fell back down when she stood in quick haste. Now, Elaina was making fancy twirls with her sticks.

"How did you manage to get this good?" the brunette muttered.

"You kid yourself, sister," the other woman answered casually, slightly limping. "Twenty-two years does leave quite some room for improvement."

With a single tactical step, Kelly twirled around and disarmed her opponent.

"Huh, I suppose you were right."

"Of course I was right! What is it with people and thinking that I'm so unreliable? Ever since…"

"Well," the taller girl cut in, "you do sometimes get a certain look in your eye when you make some rather peculiar suggestions. It sometimes even scares me," she finished as they both replaced the fighting sticks.

"Nice pants…I was thinking you were stuck wearing skirts."

Kelly laughed.

"Thanks."

Kelly in fact was wearing pants, breaking her twenty-year tradition. In the desert, a skirt gave clothing a bit a fanning effect. Presently, her outfit consisted of brown boots (much like her sister's), soft (in both color and texture) pink pants which only reached just past her knees, an also light pink, short-sleeved top with a V-neck, a light Jedi-styled brown over-top with nearly full-length sleeves, a waist-tied neckline that complimented the layer underneath, and dark brown trim, plus her usual belt with her lightsaber and recently-acquired gun.

"So," Kelly queried, "how has your progression with the Force been going?"

She almost instantly found herself suspended in mid-air by an unseen force.

"Not bad," the other twin responded, "but I'm nowhere near what I was. What about you?"

An instant later, they were both in the air, held up by each other. After laughing for a moment, they released their power, grabbed their coats, and headed for the door, which they had closed for privacy's sake. They approached it and pressed the opening button.

Nothing happened.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	14. Veritas

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

So, the title "Veritas" is Latin for "truth."

Pink's "Trouble" goes with scene 1 and Michael Buble's "Call Me Irresponsible" is for the first part of scene 3…

Veritas

"Can I open the door now?"

"No."

"Why not?" the brunette asked, going to study the workings of the exit in order to cease twiddling her thumbs. "It would be quite easy; just a…"

"No! If you do that, the door will never work again. What if we're attacked? No one would be able to use the door as a delay."

"If anyone is in here when that happens, sis, they're crazy."

"Just give them a few more minutes, Kelly," Elaina chided, visibly putting a rather large amount of effort to not be too annoyed with the other woman.

"El, it's been at least four hours! If they were going to figure it out, they would have long ago."

"Kelly…" The still-shorter-than-normal older sister proceeded to drag her small bag from under a chair and toss a small water bottle to her friend. "Kelly, it has only been an hour and a half."

"Oh, only…" She couldn't help but let out an immature sigh of impatience while seating herself on the table. Her twin meanwhile smirked, apparently amused. "What?!"

The blond chuckled.

"I thought you had gained far more patience than this, sister. Raising a son, of all things, should have cured you of that condition."

"Hahahaha," Kelly faked. "Unfortunately, a good part of that 'cure' was undone when I officially joined the Rebellion. I swear! I think they have given me every single dangerous one-person mission from the past three years!"

Suddenly serious, Elaina looked up from polishing a fighting rod.

"Oh…now I know why my life is so boring lately. Missions used to take up most of my time…then you came."

"Are you saying that you regret my coming here?"

"Of course not, Kelly! It's given me more time with Leia and my many unfinished projects…less time with you, unfortunately…far less."

"Admit it! You're jealous of me, for once." With that, she stood once more to post herself in front of Elaina. "Well…?"

"No." The girl shook her head and paused. "Well, maybe a little…"

"Ha! I knew it!" Elaina colorfully grumbled for the next few minutes as Kelly took a turn in fishing through her bag, hoping to find a communicator. "All right, Miss Protocol, tell me you brought your com."

The room's secondary occupant simply sipped her water.

"Don't you think I would have used it by now?"

"You didn't bring it?! How did you manage that?"

"Eh, Dr. Zelishka came by my room just before I left," she laughed. "I was so worried about getting rid of him that I forgot to grab my com and a pain killer in case I hit you harder than I meant…" Elaina cut off when Kelly threw a water bottle directly at her head.

"You are ridiculous!"

"Me? Did you think I wouldn't notice the bandages pouring out of that sack you brought?" Then, she suddenly changed the subject. "Do you mind if I…?"

Kelly blankly stared, confused until she followed her twin's gaze to her belt and the lightsaber dangling from it. Willingly, she unclipped the weapon and reverently handed it over. Out of all things in life, matters related to her former profession required utmost respect. She wasn't surprised in the least when the bodyguard handled the article as if it was made of glass. Even when it was ignited, its elegant violet length creating shadows across the girl's face, she took a moment to adjust her grip more delicately.

So surprised was she, that the brunette nearly ducked rather than gracefully stepping back as her sister flew into the flawless forms of the nearly-forgotten art. Pink, purple, brown, and blond flowed together with Elaina's movements as if a person with lightsaber wasn't there; rather, the embodiment of the two becoming one. It hurt to think that rooms ten times the size of this one were once filled with such intricate wonder.

As soon as it started, it stopped, and Elaina returned the antique and retrieved her water. Kelly couldn't think of anything particular to discuss that was new, so she simply backtracked.

"…Zelishka, huh? Rumors have been going around that you two are…involved."

The shorter woman's eyes bulged and she nearly choked on the liquid.

"What makes anyone think that?"

"You do spend quite a lot of time together."

"I need him for the most important work of my life. Without him, I would have gotten nowhere. I'm sure he seems to think otherwise, but it's not."

"Uh-huh, I'm sure…still, you need to find another half."

"Huh?"

"I think it's time we flew the coop." Kelly grabbed her bag and instantly, the gym door opened…with a distinguishable crack as the inner mechanism snapped. "Let's go."

"Kelly!" the blond cried, snagging her own pouch. "Do you know how difficult that will be to fix?!"

"Not my problem…care to lead the way to the control room?"

--

"Princess!" the jumpy technician called excitedly. "The gym door just opened a minute ago! I didn't notice until just now."

"Good work!" the young woman congratulated him with relief. "One down, one to go."

"Thank you, but that wasn't me. Whoever was inside must have performed an override of the system, at least locally."

"Can you solve the other problem, yet?"

"I'm sorry, but that life-signs detector is still too twitchy to tell."

"Well get on it, Lieutenant. We've already wasted more than two hours." More to herself, she continued, "I bet that Kelly was one of the people in that room. She was due for reconnaissance with Luke over an hour ago."

"I know. And I'm finding that fact is incredibly irritating to live with," a new voice commented. Leia swiveled around to face two rather red-cheeked officers. Both Kelly and Elaina were standing at the control room entrance, each holding a bag.

"A little chilly for those clothes, isn't it?" the princess humorously questioned.

"Blasted!" Elaina instantly hissed in realization. She repeated the exclamation upon seeing the security screen. "How did this happen?"

"We had a mole," she stated matter-of-factly. Again, her protector muttered the expletive.

"A mole? How? How did he get to the controls?" Kelly put in.

"Easy," the grumbling bodyguard said loud enough for her two companions to hear as she easily dismissed the tech, "you just pass yourself off as another eager volunteer and show sufficient ability to use a computer. Leia, I told you we should have tightened the security on our acceptance squads!"

"Relax!" both brown-heads chided, earning an evident scowl. Leia instantly took charge of the situation. "All right…Kelly, Han and Luke still have several more hours for their shift. You can still get out there, but I want your and E…Aylana's expertise in cracking this mystery. The technicians will figure out the infirmary door. I need you to find the infiltrator. He seems to have disappeared."

"Ok, Elaina, let's get to work." Leia skeptically glanced at the taller woman. Who was she to know Elaina's real name? The growing color in Kelly's cheeks alerted her of the jointly noticed mistake. "Do you know who is in the other sealed area?"

"Well, we know that Dr. Erassa is there. She's never left the infirmary unattended and the other doctors and nurses didn't get there for their day shifts until after the lockdown. We're not sure about who else may be in there. The hacker got to the detecting systems, too."

--

Qui-Gon cracked his eyes open from his lounging position on the medical cot on which he had been snoozing to look over at the chief surgeon, who was similarly dozing in a chair. Despite the thoughtful insistence of the young man that she take one of the beds, Jay had refused politely, but with resolve…he supposed that she was simply used to being on call every minute of the day for unexpected casualties.

A familiar gurgling sound from his stomach reminded Qui-Gon that it had been at least seven hours since breakfast…five of which had been spent in infirmary…making it about noon: the perfect time to dig through the rations Jay had found. Grabbing two packages from the box, he sat in the chair beside the doctor's, only to have his eyes lock onto her.

Jay seemed the average tough, middle-aged, smart woman she played when in action on the field or in surgery; however, curled up in the little chair, sound asleep, she seemed not much older than him…of course, he had seen through the commanding façade continuously, but it simply stood out more, momentarily. She seemed so innocent and vulnerable. He went to swipe a strand of black hair from her face.

"Good morning," she murmured, apparently completely oblivious of the man's moving of the offensive tress.

"Hardly," he replied, handing her one of the ration bags. "They still haven't gotten us out."

"How long was I…out?"

Qui-Gon chuckled as the girl smirked.

"A few hours…" With that, they simultaneously sampled each other's food. Jay decidedly switched the trays, to her companion's fake distress.

Several moments passed without conversation until the surgeon piped up.

"So, I never caught exactly how you ended up here? I know that Kelly is your mother…"

"…which is rather odd," Qui-Gon took over when she paused. His maternal heritage was a well-known oddity. The interruption earned a sympathetic laugh.

"…but, I don't know how you both ended up here when you came separately."

"I was born and raised on Tatooine with my parents. They taught me most everything I know. My father was Ben Kenobi…but his real name was Obi-Wan…"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi was your father?" Jay broke in. "Sorry…I just didn't make the connection for some reason."

"That's fine. Most people don't expect it."

"It makes sense though…go on."

"There's nothing really to tell except that I heard about the growing Rebellion when I was seventeen, got my parents' approval, and…left. After I found one of the operatives, I was simply a matter of proving myself."

"You obviously did that very well."

"Sometimes, I think that Aylana approved of me a little too quickly."

"What are you talking about? Lana is one of the best judges of character I've ever met."

Qui-Gon took a moment to process the information.

"What about you? How did you end up as 'chief surgeon of the Rebellion…the best in the galaxy'?"

It was Jay's turn to pause as she chewed her lip and went to throw her finished meal into the trash. She hesitated in possible denial of his query, but the words came anyway, even if the sentences were a bit choppy at first.

"I grew up in Coruscant with my father, mother, and little brother and sister. My father always taught us that the Empire was the best thing that ever happened to this galaxy. Both of my siblings rejected the propaganda, but I jumped at the idea of such order at that great a scale. When I was sixteen, I went to the Imperial Naval Academy. My father couldn't have been prouder that I had excelled in my studies so much to the point of my being eligible for the 'most prestigious academy' in the galaxy.

"Two and a half years later, I graduated with flying colors and was posted as a TIE pilot for about a year before it was decided that I was of more use teaching others what I had learned from class and experience. By the time six months had passed, the Emperor, who had been personally watching my progress, was ready to give me a promotion. Several dozen people of importance attended, including the Emperor my family…except for my sister, who was ill." Her voice was suddenly filled with a venomous spite quite uncharacteristic for her.

"Near the conclusion of the ceremony, the Emperor told me that I needed to fulfill but one task to prove my loyalty: kill my family in front of the entire assembly (my father had, by then, realized the Empire's evil). I refused, my family was killed before my very eyes, and I escaped…only to discover upon returning home that my fifteen-year-old sister had somehow been taken from my family's 'vacation' home on one of the Outer Rim planets.

"In my searching for her, I became a pirate; it accomplished both my want for revenge against the Empire and my hunt. I was rogue for about a year and a half, even though I did spend most of it with an incredibly talented healer…then I met Han Solo. Once I proved myself to him, he became a bit of a big brother to me." Qui-Gon unconsciously sighed with relief, but Jay was courteous enough to continue.

"Following another eighteen months of pirating, I ran across a group of slavers. They let it slip that they had been responsible for my sister's disappearance. I killed the leader when he wasn't even somewhat forthcoming and the others caved instantly. I then ran across my medical trainer, who offered her help…but, the price was that I allow her to teach me everything else she knew.

"We rescued my sister and I spent another year juggling medicine and watching Larian (that's my sister's name). My teacher was killed by stormtroopers in a raid, I took Larian, and we came here, to the Rebellion. About month later, probably a week after Lana made me surgeon, you showed up."

"What about Larian? Where is she now?" the man further inquired.

"She's a nurse here. I'm training her myself…and she definitely has potential."

Again, Qui-Gon took a while to digest the dialogue. She had just disclosed to him her life story. He couldn't even imagine his family being killed right in front of him…and to be as calm and collected as Jaylyn. Her strength was stunning!

"You…" He was at a loss for words. "You're amazing!"

She scoffed and got up to stretch her legs.

"Hardly, but thanks for the effort."

--

Just as Kelly was climbing onto her potent Tauntaun in the 'stables', Han and his steed came loping in.

"Chilly?" she lightly questioned once he was within range of hearing.

"Chilly?!" he repeated with a visible shiver. "It's so cold out there, I couldn't tell if my legs were attached or not!" The woman simply laughed until the door closed.

"Where's Luke?" At least Han was still acting casual, but that didn't do much for Kelly's nerves.

"Oh, he went to check out a meteor. He's probably on his way in right now. You don't have to worry. He's not that foolish…I hope."

"You hope?" the girl copied, shaking her head. "Listen. Since I'm already geared up anyway, I might as well go see how he's progressing."

"How do you plan on finding him?"

"The traditional way: look."

It was the pirate captain's turn to shake his head.

"Whatever…I need to go help Chewie with repairs."

"Oh!" she called when the door opened. "I would suggest checking in on the control room. We had a mole. We caught him and he's in interrogation with Aylana, but he made plenty of mischief while he was here and they're still trying to figure it out. I think Leia needs a friendly face."

"Are you kidding? That woman can't stand me!"

--

An hour later, Kelly angrily slapped a dirty piece of cloth onto the display in the control room. A generally ignoring Leia and deeply concentrate Elaina distractedly looked at it along with everyone else. The cloth was shredded, wet, and covered with blood.

"Commander," the princess authoritatively addressed her with uncertainty, "what is that?"

"I found it next to a Tauntaun with a broken neck and a trail being already covered with snow beyond recognition," the woman snapped. "It was Luke's. I found his binoculars ten feet away, plus a bonus of tracks belonging to one of those giant ice creatures. Are you ready to send a search, or shall we wait for confirmation?" A tight, fake grin spread across her features.

Leia, however, instantly grabbed a com device.

"Han! Han, come in! Han!" There was no reply. "3PO, respond please."

After a moment, the droid finally answered.

"Oh, um, yes, Princess Leia?"

"3PO, we need you to get a message to Han. Tell him that Luke is missing. A Wampa attacked him."

"But, Princess Leia, he won't listen to me."

"He doesn't listen to anybody. Tell him anyway!" She looked at Kelly. "Han will find him."

"Ah," the taller girl replied sarcastically, "your confidence is infectious! Have you gotten Jay out, yet?"

Leia eyeballed the technician in charge, who shook his head, baffled.

"We don't know how he managed to make such a mess in this short a time. Aylana, did you find anything?"

Elaina pursed her lips in distress before answering.

"Nothing. He's practically immune to every bribe, threat, and torture I offer. It's almost like he's waiting for something."

"Well, whatever he's waiting for, we should be able to detect. Most of our sensors are back online, but distinguishing good from bad will be impossible. Those upgrades you gave us, Kelly, just won't kick in for some reason."

"We'll find a way," the blond stated.

"I hope so," the widow replied quietly. "Between Luke missing and this whole infiltration/lockdown mess…one more crisis will be the end of us."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!"

The uncomfortable silence, however, pointed to the former suggestion being the more likely scenario.

Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk! This chapter had a lot of that. Oh well! It just means more action for the next chapter! Please review! Oh, and I updated the poll on my profile to include the new characters and allow two votes, so anyone who voted before can still participate. Thanks!


	15. A Medical Dilemma

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

A Medical Dilemma

"If air can't even get through the sealed part, then how are we going to get them out?" Kelly persisted, gnawing on her twin's increasingly thin patience while they walked through the icy halls towards the infirmary.

"We will."

"How? Even with all the fancy gadgets we have here, most of which are far less advanced than what the Empire has, I may remind you, you said yourself that the seal on that door is air tight. If they are designed to stall the Empire's tech, how are we going to get in?"

"Technology will not help us here."

"You got that right! What if they're hurt? They couldn't…"

"It's an infirmary, Commander!" the blond suddenly screeched, using her sibling's inferior rank title, turning towards the taller woman with eyes flaming. Her wrath was cut short, sadly, as another vision hit her. A hand went to her eyes. Why did a headache have to threaten every time? Hardly a whisper, she muttered out loud, "I'll have to learn to control that." She looked up. "…and that." Kelly was standing in front of her, eyes black and lightsaber ready, though it wasn't real.

"What are you talking about?" the Kelly of reality asked, in turn annoyed, surprised in mid step.

"It's nothing." With that, she continued walking, but the general should have remembered her sister's stubbornness.

"No, it's not. El…" She paused when a technician passed them and growled in frustration, obviously from the required secrecy. "Lana, I may have not seen you for a good nineteen years and hardly known you for at least a year before that, but I still know when you're hiding something. You haven't been the same since Vader captured you and it's been getting worse over about a week now. Everybody notices it. You see things. You act strangely whenever we get even somewhat close to anything Imperial."

"Who doesn't?"

Elaina rubbed her forehead to help dissipate the headache.

"Like that! What did you just see back there?"

She was her sister…but she could still write her off as crazy. With what the bodyguard saw, the Emperor himself would laugh and everyone else would want to stick her in a padded room.

"Nothing…"

A theatrical snarl was the only reply.

Finally, they had reached the sealed door.

"Do you care to share your brilliant idea, now?"

The woman simply ripped her left sleeve off with a jerk, tossed it to Kelly, and started rubbing her already-chilled arm.

"What am I supposed to do with this?!" the brunette protested, limply holding the cloth and causing the general to pause a moment.

"The people who designed that door didn't take into consideration the bottom of it still having space. All you need to do is find something you can write with and, using my sleeve, slip messages back forth. The least you can do is see who is in there and if they're all right. The more we know about what is going on, the closer we are to solving this mystery." All this was said very matter-of-factly, though she was actually incredibly pleased with herself.

"If we're going to talk to them, can't we just…talk?"

Elaina sighed with exasperation.

"It's not that simple…"

"Explain. And make it simple," the taller girl cut in tersely.

"Even if they could hear us (and I stress if), there is still another door between us and them."

"What?!"

The blond almost blushed. It had been in mid-plan that she had remembered the miniature foyer with two chairs and the section's intercom…something which Dr. Erassa had insisted on for some reason. Resigned, her twin fished through her bag and extracted the most unlikely of writing tools: a needle and thread.

"You never properly learned how to use these, did you?" Kelly queried simply, seeing the other woman's muffled surprise. "The next time we have a spare moment, I'll teach you. Two questions, though: what should I sew onto this, and how are we going to get this from one room to another?"

"Just ask if they are all right, for now. As for the other thing: use the Force."

Kelly set to work.

"But how will we know when they're ready for us to take it back."

There was a pause as Elaina bit her lip.

"Qui-Gon…he's in there. I know it! I can feel his presence. Kelly, he has the ability. It's just that neither of us have dared to bring it out."

"No," was the firm denial. "No, my son will not involve himself in something like that. I can't let him."

"He has to eventually."

"No, El, he doesn't! Every time you look at him, you may see Obi-Wan and want to give him all the love in a motherly fashion that you couldn't give to my husband more…personally…" She didn't give Elaina even a second to protest. "…but I look into his eyes, my eyes…and I see the same potential, the same strength, the same weakness that I had. No…I'll tell them that they have two minutes to reply."

"That works, too."

--

Leia paced around the control room, feeling caged. Elaina and Kelly hadn't reported any success (even though they only left about fifteen minutes ago), Luke was missing and Han wasn't having any luck from what they had heard either, the mole wasn't cooperating, the infirmary was still sealed off, and night would naturally come in only a couple of hours on the despicable ice planet…but at least they had been able to get the sensors back online, minus Kelly's modifications.

"Princess! Princess!" the persevering tech called eagerly. "I've got it! I've got it!" Leia ran to the station where a blueprint of the locked down area was projected. The man was holding his hands up in triumph…that is, until the screen showed only an inner door of the section opening. "I lost it."

"Don't worry. You were close," she said with a hand on his shoulder. "Can you at least tell how many are in there?"

"Two…"

--

Jay was once again dozing off in her chair, probably having gotten more sleep with the whole being trapped situation since the Rebellion's settlement on Hoth. She jerked upright, however, when the closet door opened. Neither of them had done anything to cause that, evidenced by the likewise lounging Qui-Gon nearby.

"Qui-Gon!" she called, clearing her throat when the young man comically leapt up and quickly took in his surroundings before settling on the adjacent entry.

"What good does that do us?" he queried, going over to inspect it with his companion.

"Nothing really, except we know now that they're actually trying to get us out. What could possibly have happened to cause this much trouble?"

Elaina's intellectual second-in-command wrapped an arm around his waist, using the opposite hand to thoughtfully massage his newly, handsomely, lightly-bearded chin.

"None of our own people could or would have made this big of a mess, accidentally or not, pointing to enemy infiltration. In fact, there was a new tech who came in about two months ago. I remember because his written record seemed almost too clean. Given enough chances, he could have rigged his offense over time, building on his plan each time someone's back was turned. That's the only thing that could possibly be the answer. But why seal off the infirmary?"

The gears in the woman's mind began to turn.

"Maybe the infirmary was a decoy or distraction of some kind to get attention away from the real target. But since only one person couldn't possibly take any sort of advantage of that, maybe the entire thing is a distraction for something far bigger."

"You're not suggesting that they found us already, are you?"

"Well, from the rumors I hear, Vader's pretty intent on finding Commander Skywalker."

"But wouldn't…" Qui-Gon's thought was interrupted by a loud, metallic banging sound on the other side of the infirmary exit. When they looked, what appeared to be a light pink piece of cloth came squeezing under the door by way of an unseen force. He picked it up. "It's from Mother."

"How do you know?"

"The thread; she's always used that same old stuff since I can remember."

--

Kelly set the metal pole down, shocked that it hadn't left a dent on the door from her informative pounding, and looked blankly in the direction her twin had trotted off, having glanced with much disdain at the brunette's ancient household tools. Hey! She couldn't help it that it took time and effort to even broadly spell out a few words, as she had done just momentarily. Quite abruptly, the other sister came rushing back.

"What was that about?" The only answer at first was a somewhat bulky, black pen being tossed to her.

"Next time you have to write a message, use that. I snatched it from Zelishka's office."

"He won't be too happy."

"Not really."

As they waited for the allotted two minutes to pass, Kelly started making random noises with mouth until she was given Elaina's undivided, if irritated, attention.

"So, I haven't had many chances to talk to you with the missions and everything; even though I have spent the last three years generally traveling with the Rebellion and helping them settle down here, etc., etc."

"I'm sorry," was the blunt reply, though it did seem genuine. "Years ago, I wished more than anything to be given another chance to spend time with you like a real sister should, but between this whole business of being under suspicion, being Leia's bodyguard still, and working on my project…it just hasn't happened."

"But it has to," Kelly stated, equally plain.

"Yes, it does."

"Agreed. As soon as things settle down again, we'll take some specific time off, go to some wild jungle, and fight off indigenous monsters together, just like old times!" She specifically avoided pushing for information about the 'project', since it always proved to simply be a good influence for awkward silence.

"The real 'us' were left on Aikhibba, just before this whole mess started."

The taller woman nodded understandingly, thinking of their last mission together before the Naboo incident which included their meeting Padme, the start of Anakin's dark journey, and Qui-Gon Jinn's death. She failed to notice Elaina's guilt-driven shift in weight following that sentence.

"So…" Again, the mouthful of pandemonium struck for a second. "…any guys?"

"Huh?" The new change of subject was evidently unexpected.

"Guys? Men? Romance? Do any of these words have any youthful meaning to you?" Kelly laughed, quickly joined by her companion. "Well? El, you used to be so popular, whenever I looked. I know that hasn't changed."

There was a thoughtful pause.

"Sure, a few guys here and there would eyeball me, but most were too confused or intimidated by 'the Princess Leia's bodyguard'. Others who had real interest in a relationship just weren't my type: incredible nerds who would rather argue with a computer than actually talk to me or tough soldiers with no personality whatsoever! I admit that Han did catch my eye, but he's after Leia. I have to protect her from being hurt; however, I'm also trying to support her finding in her own 'type' outside of the political strain she was immersed in while in and around the Senate."

"Han?! You? A pirate? A scoundrel? A thief? A mercenary? That's one I would have never guessed! El, I honestly never in a million years would have thought you as one to fall for a fortune-hunter like Han Solo."

"Easy," the blond said, suddenly a bit stern. "I didn't actually fall for him. I stopped myself before that. But, now I know that I can stretch my ideals a bit more than I thought."

"Wow."

The cloth came sliding back, with hardly any though from the brunette, written with probably the contents of some syringe or other. It read: 'We're fine. Any progress?'

Kelly's eyes popped open with an idea when Elaina's recently-gained personal com link buzzed.

"General Jinn here," she offered.

"Aylana," the princess' voice promptly answered, "have you found out anything?"

"Well, we found a rather rudimentary form of communication and they're all right."

"Do you know exactly who is in the infirmary?"

"We didn't even have to ask: Dr. Erassa and Commander Qui-Gon. From the way Kelly's looking right now, I think she has an idea."

"Very well…let's hear it."

The handpiece was given to Kelly, who eagerly proposed her plan.

"Princess, I think that if we set off a charge on the door, we can simply blast them out."

"Don't get too trigger happy, Kel. Remember that this whole base has a foundation of snow and ice. An explosion like that could collapse the entire fortress."

"I can make it so that it only affects the locked down area."

"Commander, we can't risk it."

"Well, do have any better ideas?"

"We managed to unseal the storage room in there, so we're getting closer."

"Closer: meaning another several hours?"

A slight pause commenced as Leia silently decided.

"You have a go, Kelly. Be careful."

"I'm always careful!"

With that, she threw the com back to Elaina, whose features had a storm brewing.

"Kelly, you could bury them alive!" she cried.

"Not if they go into the storage room for protection. Even if the ceiling does collapse in this one area, a cleanup crew can come in and easily dig them out."

"…and have the rest of the ceiling come crashing down as soon as they remove the first block."

"Trust me!"

"We can get the charges from the armory down the hall."

--

The cloth finally came sliding back, this time written with black ink: 'We're going to try blasting you out. You have two minutes to barricade yourself in the storage room for protection.'

Jay took the syringe, spelled out 'ok' and moved the shred back near the door. Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow.

"They didn't say whether they needed confirmation or not, so I decided to be on the safe side," she offered.

"We should probably get some supplies just in case they end up accidentally sealing us in for another half a day."

The doctor smirked, grabbed an extra coat, and simply strode into the shelter.

"It's a 'storage room'."

"Right."

With the door shut behind them, the duo waited a minute before a resounding boom made itself clear. Nothing happened for a moment until suddenly even more noise started. With earth-shaking force, it became clear that infirmary was being filled with ice.

When the sound stopped Qui-Gon tentatively crept back towards the door while Jay plopped down on a pile of cloth bags in the back. Again, he tried his muscle against a clearly immoveable force, to her amusement. He seemed to unconsciously think that he could do anything, given the chance. All his effort produced was the groaning of settling ice outside the door.

Jay patted the 'seat' beside her as an invitation, which the young man casually took, putting a stored coat on before sitting. He seemed a bit surprised however when the woman huddled next to him, making the excuse that the closet had limited heating capabilities (which was true). Apparently satisfied, the talented pilot cautiously put his arm around her. For some strange reason, she felt safe under the threat of bombarding cold and ice.

--

"Brilliant!" Elaina hissed, glaring at her twin, who was grinning sheepishly for the moment.

"Hey! I told you it would only affect this area and it did."

The blond stared at the cold, hard whiteness that had forced their twenty-foot retreat.

"…with my help."

"Commander, General, can you hear me? Come in, please." Leia's voice came ringing over the com, which Kelly instantly snatched from her sister.

"We'll definitely need a well-supplied cleanup crew, Princess," she said, "but the doors are clear. It'll probably take a while, however. I may have underestimated how far underground we were." Elaina gave her an 'I told you so' look, but Leia plainly sighed with semi relief.

"They'll be geared up and ready within an hour. Clearing the infirmary will be their top priority. They haven't had much action lately and they're professionals, so don't worry concerning readiness. Meanwhile, I need the two of you elsewhere. Get yourselves cleaned up, fed, and report to me in the control room."

"Understood."

"Can't you ever do things on a small scale?" Elaina whined as they directed their footsteps towards officers' quarters, equally worried about the man and woman trapped in such a potentially dangerous situation.

"Nope," was the clear reply.

Each girl put an arm around the other's shoulder. It had been long, long time since they had actually worked together.

All right, I was really hoping for more action out of this chapter, but spaces in time, conversational details, and rare family chat times all needed filling and attention. And, also, I know that I haven't been giving a whole lot of attention to Luke and Leia, our beloved actual main characters, but there will be plenty of them soon enough; no worries! I hope you enjoyed!

Oh, and one more thing: I actually replaced the Star Wars poll on my profile due to technical difficulties, so anyone who voted before can do so again, but with more options that include Jay, Qui-Gon, and Zelishka.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	16. The Secretive and the Young

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Sarah McLachlan's "Perfect Girl" goes with scene 1…

The Secretive and the Young

Kelly, having 'freshened herself' and changed into a basic compliment of a shin-length burgundy skirt, a slightly lighter-tinted long sleeve close V-neck top, a thick, unbuttoned, hooded brown coat, brown leggings, her previously worn boots, and of course her weapons, walked into the main hangar as she had been directed from the control room. While tying her waist-length hair into a half-bun/half-ponytail, she easily spotted the princess leaning against the support of a fighter, staring at the gaping open door.

She understood the younger woman's worry, though Kelly could at sense that Luke was still alive. With his potential in the Force, he stood out like an ignited lightsaber in a dark room; however, Leia wasn't far behind in that respect.

"He's all right," was the only consolation she could give. It annoyed her that she couldn't yet just freely mention they family relations, abilities, or anything, but at the right time, all that would change. They just had to wait, unfortunately.

"Well, any news?" Elaina asked, strolling towards her companions with an outwardly casual attitude. The blond evidently also sensed the continuing existence of their nephew. Another thing which annoyed Kelly: for having apparently lost all non-sisterly affection for the deceased Obi-Wan, she had defiantly remained distant from any romantic relationships. After all those years, the older Enduring Warrior had never learned to let go of such things. What she needed was a man; however, no one was truly bold enough to say it to her face.

"Nothing so far," Leia replied as 3PO approached. Kelly lazily leaned her head against a pole.

"Mistress Leia," the droid reported sadly, "R2 says he's been quite unable to pick up any signals, although he does admit that his own range is far too weak to abandon all hope."

"Your Highness, there's nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed," one of the Rebel officers added upon coming near.

All these things were said without much response from the superior, though the doors were indeed closed, to Chewie's more-than-clear chagrin.

"R2 say the chances of survival are seven hundred seventy-five…to one," 3PO persisted. "Actually, R2 has been known to make mistakes…from time to time." With that, he walked off, leaving the three women standing together, all distant and slightly uncomfortable with the situation; however, Kelly felt that hers was the most…reminiscent. Since arriving in their presence, Elaina had yet to don her long black glove, leaving the right hand and included mechanical thumb exposed.

The shorter twin had, from the hour or so before, since changed her attire into semi-close-fitting grey pants, a modestly low-cut, somewhat tight gray shirt, black boots, and an off-white jacket with her usual belt. The never-properly-repaired finger was just more evidence that she hadn't let go of the regrettable past. A guy was what she needed…though playing matchmaker wasn't even close to what Kelly pictured as preferable sisterly advice.

"Apparently I missed something," the blond continued, stretching her glove as if to send it flinging towards the sealed exit.

"Freshened up, are we?" the tallest of the three muttered cynically. It was aggravating even for the equally knowledgeable Jedi to see her sister so carefree over such a short time.

"Yeah, I'm actually feeling quite chipper!" she exclaimed, twirling the glove and tossing it to Kelly, who gruffly threw it back.

"Put that on, would ya?!"

"Okay," she lightly replied, twisting her heirloom ring before complying.

"You got a visit from…" She paused, making sure that Leia was still in her private reverie, and lowered her voice. "…our mutual relative, didn't you?"

"Yep!"

"I thought you usually came out of those visits in a…less-than-cordial mood?"

"Not this time! I won an argument…or, at least he didn't win, rather."

"I don't want to know."

"I wouldn't tell you anyway."

"Oh! It's about that stupid machine your always snooping about with, isn't it?"

"I said…"

"Lana, Kelly!" the princess burst out, her eyes only requiring actual fireballs to burn her two friends with their ferocity. "Do you mind?! Luke is missing, Han is missing, and everything else is going wrong. Kelly, I believe it's your turn to interrogate the prisoner, and General…just stay away from me."

With that, the girl stomped off.

"Well…" Kelly noted, infectiously lighthearted, having seen the logic in Elaina's cheery mood as a default. "…someone's in love with our pirate captain. I have an interrogation to attend, followed by a good solid night's sleep before shop opens in the morning. You're still the princess' bodyguard, right?"

"Right!"

They parted ways affectionately: the brunette for her almost anticipated job and the blond in pursuit of her grouchy charge. Maybe there was hope for the past idol after all!

--

"Leia, come on! Leia, please tell me what's bothering you! I know I haven't been very talkative with you lately, but that really doesn't mean that I deserve this. Come on! What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?!" Leia accused, halting her trip through the icy passages to confront her mentor. "Other than what everyone already knows, you're acting like a general lunatic! Muttering to yourself, getting headaches for no reason, spacing off when I need you most, knowing random things before they happen, looking at people funny, and most importantly: keeping secrets like your life depends on it… Elaina, I don't mean to sound like I don't trust you after all you've done for me, but…I don't!"

The shorter woman offered a crooked smile, not doing anything to counter the accusations for a moment.

"Maybe I am a bit eccentric; but wouldn't you be after twenty years of hiding while watching everything you ever knew be burned to the ground? Wouldn't you be after seeing your father die from battle and being forced to fight your own sister nearly to the death? Wouldn't you, having been responsible for your brother's corruption, the plotting and rising of an empire, the destruction of an entire society, and an eternity of guilt to go with it?

"I have my scars; I have my guilt; and I have paid my price in the eyes of everyone but me!" The happy demeanor had vanished entirely, replaced by threatening fury. "Leia, you have to understand that I keep these secrets to protect you! The Emperor himself wants my service and knowledge. Vader wants revenge against me. Before you were even born, I swore to your mother that I'd always protect you with my life. Part of that is to hide a great deal of my history from you. If I betray that information, I betray my oath.

"Leia, you and…you are all that I have. I can only hope that at least part of my offenses can be redeemed through you. One day, perhaps, you will hear of it from me or another; but for now, I am you protector, by oath and by blood. This fight is all I have. I would die for it and you. Now, I will leave you alone. I think Chewie needs help with the _Falcon_."

"Is honor all you care about?" the princess shot back.

"I abandoned honor long ago."

--

Chewie jumped away as the part he was working on shot sparks directly at him. As he whined, a familiar voice called from below.

"Chewie! Need a hand?"

The whiny plea brought an instant smile Elaina's face and she instantaneously ditched her jacket, exposing slim but muscular arms, for the sake of maneuverability in aiding the Wookie.

--

"General Jinn and Commander Kelly, report to the auxiliary medical center immediately. Repeat: report to the auxiliary medical center immediately," the intercom buzzed.

"Mm, five more minutes," Kelly groaned, stuffing her face into the pillow.

"Tough night, huh?" Elaina queried, tossing a chunk of bread to her unwilling friend from her post in front of a mobile computer on the desk. Just like the bed-loving girl, she was still in the same clothes from the night before and her short hair was sticking out in all directions, only to be smoothed out upon her standing.

"What makes you think that?" she asked in turn, one eye giving the morning any attention whatsoever.

"You piled into my quarters at two in the morning and plopped into my bed like you couldn't make it twenty more feet to your own room. After three hours of being punched and having my blankets stolen, I finally decided to get some work done."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that!" the commander exclaimed honestly, bolting upright in guilt.

"Eh, that's fine. It's a good thing I turned in early, though. I may have not been so forgiving otherwise." The brunette distastefully snatched up the bread from beside her. "How did the interrogation go?"

"In short…badly. I'm telling you; that guy's one tough cookie!"

"Forget about him. It seems we have more important things to worry about."

--

"Luke!" Kelly screeched, racing to embrace the young man as he sat on a couch in the recovery room. She backed off, however, as soon as he cringed from the crushing contact. "Luke, you're all right! What happened?"

Elaina meanwhile lifted her lip in disapproval of the entire section, understanding the chief doctor's desires to keep the auxiliary infirmary as far away as possible from the actual medical center: it was completely run by droids, other than one nurse being on duty.

"Of course he made it!" the general said out loud. "He's a Skywalker!"

"Sorry, but that doesn't mean much," the boy declared quietly.

"It means practically everything! Luke, I met your father and I can tell you that he was the strongest Jedi I ever knew."

"If you knew my father…and he died before I was born…are you like Kelly then?"

"Luke," the named woman interrupted, throwing a glare at her twin that said, 'you started it', "what happened to you out there? You almost look like…like there's something on your mind that we don't know."

He hesitated.

"I saw Ben." When only two anticipating gazes answered him, he continued. "He told me that I had to go to the Dagobah system and find a Jedi Master named…Yoda." Elaina could tell that he was leaving something out, as almost a subtitle showed him looking at her with utmost guilt, and she could easily guess that it was probably about her.

"Luke," the blond chided, "what else did he say?"

Kelly ignored the statement, simply biting her lip, murmuring,

"Yoda…I didn't even expect him to be alive still. It makes sense, though. He was going into hiding when I saw him last. Did he ever say anything about Dagobah, Elaina?"

The shorter woman cringed as at least part of her cover was blown. Kelly evidently noticed it too, but too late for it to be mended as Luke instantly jumped at the note.

"You two worked together before the Death Star! You both knew Yoda… Oh, I should have seen that coming!"

"Luke," the short girl protested, "you can't…"

"El," Kelly interrupted, "he deserves to know something."

"Master Luke, sir, it's so good to see you fully functional again!" 3PO cried joyfully upon abruptly entering the room with R2. "R2 expresses his relief, also."

Saved by the droids…

"How are you feeling, kid?" Han greeted, finally entering the room and completing the cutting in of the young Skywalker's intense questioning. "You don't look so bad to me. In fact, you look strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark."

"Thanks to you," Luke replied somewhat weakly, still quizzically catching glances of the visually battling sisters.

"That's two you owe me, junior." Just then, the princess of everyone's affections entered the scene, sending a look which almost seemed apologetic in her bodyguard's direction. "Well your Worship, looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer."

"I had nothing to do with it," Leia said rather conceitedly. "General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy shield."

"That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of you sight."

"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

Elaina, who had sociably posted herself next to Chewie and received a tight cuddle from the giant teddy bear, laughed simultaneously with the Wookie as she attempted forgetting that her secrets were once again coming to an end. Leia and Kelly seemed equally satisfied with the scathing designation, Luke was watching with weary interest, and Han instantly tried covering his humiliation.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball…and your scrawny little mate… But you didn't see us alone in the south passage. She expressed her true feelings for me."

"My…?!" With that, Luke's eyes seemed to pop out of his head, Han played the innocent info-giver, Kelly burst out laughing, and the other two continued chuckling. "Why, you stuck up…half-witted…scruffy-looking…nerf-herder!"

"Who's scruffy-looking?" the man guiltlessly exclaimed before turning to Luke. "I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh, kid?"

The target of the flirtation seemed stunned for a split second prior to hardening and suavely strolling to Luke.

"Well, I guess you don't know everything about women yet."

--

Obi-Wan smiled amusedly as his niece planted an unmistakable kiss on the lips of his nephew while he invisibly watched the scene before him. When the young woman vacated the room, soon followed by the recalled Chewbacca and rather miffed Solo, he felt like laughing at the remaining three's expressions. While Luke was leaning back, looking quite pleased with himself, he was quite oblivious to others: Kelly visibly gagged and Elaina appeared to be sick.

"So," the boy began following a moment of silent pleasure, "you were going to tell me something?"

With a mutual look, the sisters excused themselves, came straight into the adjacent closet which the dead man was covertly occupying, and shut the door.

"We have to tell him," they both stated.

"No, you can't," Obi-Wan countered, then becoming visible.

"Why not?" his wife argued as if he had been in front of her the whole time, though the other girl stared in masked shock. She hadn't actually seen him in over twenty years.

"Ugh, you're old," Elaina sarcastically pointed out with a grim smile that went ignored over all.

"Why not, Ben?"

"You know the reasons, Kelly," the man answered practically.

"But she kissed him!"

"I saw, darling. I've been watching. Neither of them is ready learn too much about their history. Discovering their relation now will only cause problems for us and leverage for the Empire. They must be prepared."

"Obi-Wan," the blond past love interest began, "what did you tell him…other than his need to find Yoda?"

"I told him to ask you of any history he wanted concerning the fall of the Jedi order and Kelly for combat advice of any kind. I trust that you both know what not to tell him yet?"

"Don't tell him anything about his connection with Leia or Anakin's with Vader."

"Precisely."

--

"Does he always disappear like that?" Elaina hissed when the old man suddenly wasn't there.

"Yeah, why?" was the simple answer.

"Humph…he must have gotten it from Father."

"You still see him?" It was a silly question since she already knew the answer.

"You don't?"

"Not for over three years…"

"Well, don't go pouting! That was the first time I saw Obi-Wan…old."

"He's still handsome to me."

The older woman opened her mouth, only to close it…his eyes, the eyes which had always swallowed her with their depth…she remembered his eyes and they hadn't changed.

Back into the infirmary, they faced their nephew.

"Well?" he queried.

"Luke," Kelly led, "Elaina (that's her real name, but don't use it yet in public) and I fought in the Clone Wars together with Ben and your father. Ben and I were married soon after the death of your father when you were born. We took you to Tatooine where we hoped you would be safe from those who would want to track down any family Anakin had left. Elaina, after that, went off on her own and eventually settled down on Alderaan…" She allowed Elaina to finish.

"There, my uses as a bodyguard were quickly discovered and I was asked to become the guardian of the princess. It also helped that Senator Organa was a founder of the Rebellion."

"What about Vader?" he persisted. Kelly seemed disinclined to try answering that question.

"Vader was…dear to us all, but he felt that we, Obi-Wan in particular, weren't allowing him to fully spread his wings as a Jedi. We failed to convince him otherwise and he was seduced and tricked into his present position."

"He is evil," the brunette claimed.

"No," the other countered coldly. "We failed him. The Emperor took advantage of his confusion. Evil has hold of him, but he is not evil."

Luke looked back and forth in evident confusion as to which side to believe exactly.

Ok, I think we can go into the more action-filled part of the movie in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review! Hope you enjoyed!


	17. Parting of the Ways: Part 1

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

I know I've been horrible at updating lately and I apologize. So, here are two chapters at once to make up for that. :)

The italicized bit is a vision. Just letting you know. :)

Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" goes with scene 3 and Journey's "Separate Ways" is for scene 5…

Parting of the Ways: Part 1

Luke stared at the wall in front of him. No wonder Ben had told him to ask Kelly and Aylana, or Elaina rather, for help and information about the past. They had lived it!

"She's your aunt," Ben stated casually, having suddenly appeared beside the boy.

"Huh?"

"Kelly is your aunt."

"So, you're…"

"…your uncle, yes," the ghost confirmed, apparently oblivious to Luke's numb bewilderment.

"And how does that work?"

"Your father was her brother." He moved as to go, with the nephew working his jaw in silent protestation, but turned back. "Don't tell Kelly that I told you that. I may be dead, but her wrath is still something I'd rather not tempt…besides, she has her own reasons for not wanting to tell you."

With the old man gone, Luke simply sat for moment, baffled. Finally, however, he pushed the confusion aside for later.

"Excuse me, nurse," he addressed the one human resident of the auxiliary infirmary on duty as she passed. He noticed when the girl looked back that she was slightly shorter than him, had an exquisitely lovely face, pinned up, glistening black hair with two blond stripes on the front, and an overall image of strong, feminine perfection; however, the defiant, haunted stare of her small, almond-shaped, nearly black eyes threw off any further flippant observation. If he wasn't so enamored by Leia, the boy would have fallen for the lady head-over-heels.

"Yes, Commander?" the beauty's soft, alto voice queried.

"Can I get some clothes? I feel fine."

A cold glance seemed to detail his fitness.

"Sure; I see no reason why not."

"Thanks…oh, wait!" He figured that being on this woman's good side would be a wise decision as his life could one day depend on her. "Is there something I can call you other than 'nurse'?"

The young man thought he could see her somewhat pale cheeks brighten a bit.

"Larian….Larian Erassa."

"Erassa?"

"The chief surgeon, Jaylyn, is my sister."

--

"All right, let's go," the princess confirmed, sending most of the officers out of the control room with their respective jobs.

"Leia, what's going on?" Elaina began single-mindedly, entering with the widely observant tag-along, Kelly. Leia pursed her lips in suspicion of how her lifelong friend and the strangely talented commander seemed to know each other so well. "We just made a detour to the hangar and everyone is babbling about evacuation. Apparently, I'm the only who knows nothing about the situation."

"Lana, where have you been?" she snipped (though she didn't know why). "The Empire could be here any minute."

"Whoa!" Kelly exclaimed, holding her hands up. "The Empire?! When did this happen?"

"About an hour ago, we detected something coming towards the base. We sent Han and Chewie to check it out and it turned out to be a probe. They shot it down, but not before it sent out a transmission."

"Where do you want us?"

"Kelly, I think I'll need you in the hangar to supervise. Make sure everything goes smoothly with the loading and see that no one panics. We have plenty of new people who aren't used to evacuations like this. I want everything possible loaded within the hour."

"Sounds good to me."

"What about me?" Elaina seriously questioned, scanning the room to see that everything was in order.

"Well," the leader said, starting to bore of telling people what to do, "go through the base and see that everyone knows what's going on. Some people might…"

"I get it. You should get things started."

Leia simply nodded her head, for once relieved of someone creditable ordering her around. As she and the other brunette set off for the transport bay, the other woman worried,

"Princess, have they gotten Qui-Gon and Dr. Erassa out, yet?"

"A while ago, I heard they were getting close."

"So they should be out soon?"

"Very."

--

Qui-Gon shivered and readjusted the pile of worthless blankets on top of him and his companion. It had been hours since they had been sealed into the tiny room, yet no rescue seemed to have surfaced. He didn't know how much damage the charge could have caused, especially since it had been caused by his sometimes quite trigger-happy mother. His attention was redirected as Jay moaned beside him, sitting up from the position she had taken against his shoulder quite some time ago. It worried the young man that her face was so much more pale than usual.

"Hey, doc, are you ok?" he quietly asked. The disappointed sigh from beside him alerted to the fact that the girl had been expecting to wake up in an infirmary bed. She ignored him, however, and looked down at the leather wrist watch she had snagged from one of the boxes, simultaneously checking her pulse.

"At this rate, we'll be dead within a few hours." With a sneer of disgust, she flung off a layer of the blankets, something Qui-Gon completely understood. Since the collapse, the heaters had shut off and the only things available for warmth were two pilot jackets, a dozen paper-thin coverlets, and each other. "I knew I should have ordered more portable heaters…but they told me it would 'melt the ice'…"

"Aren't doctors supposed to be encouraging and positive in life-threatening situations?"

"Not when I'm out of my element…and being stuck in a freezer closet is definitely out of my element."

"You've been in space, haven't you?" He of course already knew the answer to that question; however, giving up on the situation would simply make things a whole lot worse…something a chief surgeon would likely know.

"Duh," was the plain response, but she quickly caught on. "I know what you're going to say: Have you ever been stranded in space with limited air? What did you do? You kept yourself calm and relaxed. You figured out the situation, breathed only so much air as you needed, kept your morale up, and waited until rescue arrived. It always does."

Qui-Gon grinned through chattering teeth.

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

"Yeah, that seems…" Their hands had inadvertently touched and she cut off. "Qui-Gon, your hands are freezing! Tell me you haven't been sacrificing your share of the heat for me!" He simply glanced sheepishly at the leaning door. "Always the gentleman…" she growled softly.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." Tired of ceaselessly doing nothing, the 'gentleman' finally tossed the annoying sling on his arm, leaving the sole annoyance of the cast, and got up, purposefully piling his part of the insulation onto Jay. "What are you doing?" the woman exclaimed, gruffly tossing aside the contribution and following his movement.

"There has got to be a way out here other than that door."

"Commander…it's a closet."

"You designed this place, right? Didn't you take into account the possibility of needing to evacuate through some way other than the main entrance?"

"I didn't. The person who designed the complex did…but it's too dangerous. I figured we would only need it if the Empire was knocking down our doors and since that isn't happening, I don't want to…"

"Jay…"

"No! We can't risk it. It's just too dangerous. Besides, they'll be here soon and…"

"Jay!" he finally yelled, slightly shaking her shoulders. The cold seemed to be getting to her.

"What?!"

"You're babbling."

"…oh."

"Where is the escape?" His answer was the doctor looking straight up at the ventilation grill on the ceiling. "The ventilation shaft?"

"No. It's too confusing and there are too many turns. Please, tell me we'll wait."

"We'll wait…one more hour." The sound of drilling and other machinery reached their ears. "What did I tell you?"

"Technically, I told you."

--

"Gert, be careful with that wedge! We don't want all our work to come crashing down on us."

The commander of the extraction team had just finished inspecting the work of his men. A whole hallway and half of the infirmary had been flawlessly cleared and propped. In not even five minutes, Commander Qui-Gon and Dr. Erassa would be free of their icy cage, brought to the auxiliary medical center, and the lieutenant himself would be recognized for his true talent and leadership, one of the few decent things he had gained in the service to the Empire which he had abandoned nearly six months ago. Maybe he would even be promoted. His chest swelled at the thought.

Suddenly, alarms began sounding over the base-wide intercom.

"All personnel prepare for evacuation immediately. Enemy forces detected. Repeat: all personnel prepare for evacuation immediately!" the announcement called.

The man bit his lip with indecision while his crew side-glanced him from their respective stations. The princess had ordered him to get the commander and the doctor out and he might gain recognition for his bravery in staying to do so; but the announcement had said 'all personnel' and he had learned from his academy days that disobedience to any order, no matter how ridiculous, was expected to be obeyed. Disobedience earned punishment, something he had learned to avoid from an early age. And staying meant putting his men in danger.

Obedience or heroics: the two choices were frighteningly clashing! Of course, staying just to earn a promotion was foolish, at best. His men and his own hide were on the line.

"Men, move out!" he ordered, expecting it to be instantly obeyed; however, they all paused, staring in shock.

"But, sir," a young mechanic protested (such nerve!), "what about Qui-Gon and Doc Jay? We can't just leave them to die…or worse, get captured if we're overrun." Mutters of agreement were prevalent and a muffled call from within the blocks of ice caused the leader to pause with guilt. He had to obey.

"If we can, we'll come back for them. I promise." Anything to keep them from revolting! What would his superiors say if he was responsible for the beginning of a revolution in their own ranks?!

"You swear that we'll come back after helping with the evacuation arrangements?" a grimy-looking woman asked coldly, wielding her drill as more of a weapon than a tool, though she seemed just as comfortable with either option.

"Yes, upon my own honor." The evacuation was probably a fluke anyway, so what was the harm? "All right, let's go. Hurry! Get these tools out of here, now! Let's go! Let's go!"

As they cleared out, a few more desperate cries from the ice emerged, but they went ignored in the desperate rush.

--

Kelly grinned broadly as the victorious air of the about-to-depart pilots affected even her when the first transport's successful getaway was announced. She made sure to seat herself in a corner as she felt a vision invade her thoughts.

_Elaina walked down the ramp of the Millenium Falcon and absently looked around at the clouds which surrounded the floating city. _Kelly somehow knew that her sister was rather missing her. _She waited near the craft as Han, Leia, 3PO, and R2 apparently waited for someone to come through the landing's door to the building._ It flashed forward a slight bit.

_Elaina smoothly strode forward towards her friends as they were greeted by a group of people, led by a man who caused her eyes to nearly glitter for a split second before she tightly hid it behind a veil of formality. _Of course, the viewer felt like slapping the woman for being such a Hutt! _The leader, a man with deeply tanned skin, black hair, dark eyes, and a relaxed air of command, having taken Leia's hand with overly-familiar attention, allowed Han to steal it from him as his eyes settled on the blond._ Once more it skipped, this time to another room some time later on.

_The stunning man from the previous moment was sitting on a cushioned bench in a large, many-windowed room with light-colored décor and a large, drool-worthy bed, looking rather flustered…and mysteriously soaked. _…something that baffled Kelly. _Elaina was standing several feet away in front of him in a thick white robe, trying and utterly failing to suppress completely relished bursts of laughter._ He seemed to make her happy in a rather amused fashion. Sadly, it again flashed forward.

_Elaina and the mystery man were walking through a hall. Again, she was laughing, though with a bit less mirth. Again, the man seemed troubled, but differently this time. Abruptly, the girl stopped within sight of several doors, still in the open hallway. Her smile disappeared and she looked sadly into the man's eyes._

"_I don't blame you," was all she said following a moment's silence. _Disappointment, sorrow, betrayal…

'I don't blame you.' The words haunted Kelly as she bolted out of her seat, but really…what could she do to stop Elaina from having her heart broken…again? It was really none of her business…then again, it was. For all she knew, trying to stop the incident would cause it. For all she knew, it could happen in three hours or three years!

"Kelly, how are things going?" Leia interrupted.

"Oh, Leia…fine. The transports are pretty much all secure and everyone is making last minute arrangements. There are just a few labs that still need clearing."

"Wonderful! Something is going right today!"

Kelly chuckled as the girl walked away. Leia was so lucky to not have to deal with visions, power-hunger, and past faults going back nearly half a century. Still, her worry for Elaina remained at the forefront of her mind, not that there was anything she could do other than hope that it would all work out in the end.

Plain and simple, that breath-taking man would regret doing any wrong to Elaina Jinn-Skywalker. The Jedi would make certain of it. He would dread every day, every hour, and every moment for as long as he lived.

Aside from that, according to the vision, the twins would once more be parted for a certain amount of time at some point. She had gotten the feeling from Han's behavior with the mystery man that a relationship would develop between him and the princess, something she still saw as poetic. All around, there were four living people she cared for the most: above all, Qui-Gon, Elaina, Leia, and Luke.

She simply wanted Qui-Gon to be safe and happy. He and his entire generation didn't deserve to suffer because of his predecessors' mistakes. Elaina needed a man. That much was clear. If she got her heart broken again…well, it was better than going on through life like a stone. Kelly had cherished her time with Obi-Wan more than anything. Leia and Luke…they just needed a reality check and to get their destinies fulfilled before more people died. Then, they could settle down and figure out their personal issues…such as kissing each other. Ugh! What was her husband thinking!

Back in reality, the woman eyeballed R2 being readied for loading into one of the X-wing fighters, the defense speeders having already departed several minutes before.

"R2, what's going on?" The little droid explained Luke's instructions to ready a fighter and meet him outside in five minutes to evacuate and split off for the Dagobah system. Smirking, she ordered, "All right, guys, let's get a two-seater over here. Commander Skywalker isn't taking off without me."

"Yes, Commander," the surrounding men answered unquestioningly, scurrying off; however, R2 probed for a reason.

"Don't worry, buddy. I just made a promise that I'd protect Luke; that's all." He whistled his acknowledgment. "Besides, I wouldn't miss out for anything a chance to see my sister's teacher again."

Several minutes passed, during which Kelly changed her clothes, geared up, and made final arrangements with the ground crews. Once finally in the back seat of the fighter, she instantly readied the guns. Of course, R2 inquired.

"What? You didn't think I'd miss out on all the fun, did you?" While buzzing out into the sky, however, doubts began to arise. "R2, do you think Qui-Gon will be all right?" There came a certain confirmation. "I hope so. I just have this bad feeling…like he somehow won't make it out on time. He never has been late for anything, so I shouldn't have to worry…it's just a feeling." Guns began firing in her direction, but she simply kept talking while returning fire. "I also have a bad feeling about his friendship with Dr. Erassa. I mean, she's a nice gal, but…eh, whatever! Woohooooo!"

The heat of battle never got old!

Elaina would plow through whatever came her way as always and differences would be reconciled, as always. At least the twins didn't have to worry about fighting over a man this time!

Thanks for reading and please review!


	18. Parting of the Ways: Part 2

Bryan Adams' "When You Love Someone" goes with scene 4…

Parting of the Ways: Part 2

She sat up. Her head ached. Where was she?

With a groan, Elaina took in her surroundings, trying to remember the recently passed half hour. She was collapsed at the back of an open storage closet, momentarily watching the people skitter by the door. She remembered finalizing the evacuations. She had been heading towards Zelishka's lab when…that was it. Nothing followed that until she awoke in the little corner.

Zelishka's…maybe if she continued with her previous mission, she would remember. This was strange…

The corridor she was in was far from her desired designation. What happened?

Never mind. She needed to find Zelishka. Her project was far more important than her memory. A moment later, as she staggered out into the hall, just regaining stability, the named doctor came trotting her direction, holding an apparently hefty container.

"Zelishka!" she called curtly, nearly causing the genius to lose his grip.

"Aylana!" he responded, approaching and looking quite stunned. "Are you all right? You look terrible!" Just then, she noticed the minor, but many, cuts and burns on her hands. What had happened?!

"Doctor, I'm fine. Where's S.Q.E.A.K.?"

"It's here. It was the last thing in my lab to go," he replied breathlessly as the woman practically caressed the two-foot-squared box. "I know you think of this diversion as your baby, so I wanted to make sure that it made it safely to a transport or wherever. It's all here: the draft, the plans…all in a portable computer."

As soon as he said the word 'diversion', the girl's eyes dove intensely into his.

"You don't believe this will work, do you? Eh, forget answering that. I already know what you're thinking." Suddenly, the scientist was on the floor, trying desperately to breathe. Elaina didn't know what was happening and, mysteriously enough, there was suddenly no one around to help. "Dr. Zelishka! Relin!" She swiftly discovered a strangely familiar tickle in the back of her mind. "Blasted, Relin. I'm sorry! I was mad. Sidious, what have you done to me?!!!!" she screamed. A split second later, Relin gasped, gulping in the air the poor blond had inadvertently cut off.

"Aylana," the man coughed, "what was that?"

"I don't know. Come on. We have to get you to the transport."

"S.Q.E.A.K!"

"It's ok. You were stupid enough to protect the computer from falling to the ground rather than yourself."

Finally almost recovered, Zelishka chuckled as Elaina snatched the box away from him.

"I don't know what is going on with you, Lana, but I think you need a vacation, at least."

"Come on, now! You know I'm addicted to my work. We should head for the control room first and update Leia."

"You are more devoted than people give you credit for."

With Elaina supporting both the box and, only slightly at this point, the doctor, they slowly made their way towards the control room, only to soon discover that the Empire was closer than they thought.

By the time they arrived, only two technicians remained, and they were just about to race out from where the general and the scientist had come. Zelishka by that time was supporting his own weight completely, along with carrying the box.

"What's going on?" Elaina demanded, flinching when a block of ice from the ceiling nearly hit her. "Where's Princess Leia?"

"General, Imperial troops have entered the base. Nearly everyone has left. We're about to go catch the last transport. The princess went down that corridor with Captain Solo," the middle-aged woman answered, pointing at the far doorway before scurrying out with her companion.

Not even a moment later after following the given directions, the duo heard a small, sharp scream.

"Leia!"

"Where are you going? Uh…come back!!" 3PO could faintly be heard calling. Then, Han, Leia, and 3PO all came racing into sight.

"Lana, what are you doing here?" the girl yelled as her bodyguard joined her in racing away.

"Trying to find you, that's what," was the plain statement. "What are you doing?"

"The tunnel collapsed and there isn't time to go the other way, so we're taking Han's ship."

"Good. In my opinion, I think we fixed it up pretty nicely. Aside from the _Windu_, I trust no ship more. Speaking of my ship, did Commander Qui-Gon get out all right?"

"From what I heard and from his record, of course he did! The crew was practically done when I checked a long while ago. He'll beat us to the rendezvous point by half a day, I would bet."

"Ah, don't talk down that much about the _Falcon_. She's a good ship!"

"Wait! Wait for me! Wait! Stop!" the droid cried, getting the hangar door slammed in his face, only to have Han drag him through.

"Come on!" the pirate growled. "At least someone appreciates a decent craft when she sees one."

"Why, thank you!" the blond exclaimed cheerfully. "Leia, what exactly happened? The shield shouldn't have given out that quick!"

Leia bit her lip prior to replying.

"I think our generator was weakened from the inside."

As they neared the ship's ramp, she realized the plot: the lockdown had been a diversion from both the Empire's approach and her own lack of innocence; during her 'blackout', she had somehow traveled to the generator and knocked out its reinforcements (that was why she had awakened somewhat close to the engine room with cuts and burns from the normally impenetrable machinery). Whatever the how's or why's were, the Empire had some sort of control over her.

It explained her lack of control when she became angry with Zelishka and choked him with the Force. It explained her 'strange behavior', occasional 'blackouts', and heightening of power the closer she came to the Empire (Vader in particular), of which she had told no one in the least, not even her confidant, Jay. She would continue hiding these facts until she knew what was happening to her. It was the only way.

"Would it help if I got out and pushed?" the princess sneered when the engine failed to start on the _Falcon_.

"It might," Han answered almost seriously.

Quickly, she found the problem and focused all her energy on at least getting the ship off the ground. Just one little tweak…

"Punch it!"

--

Luke looked up as he heard engines approaching. Seeing that it was the _Falcon_, he waved goodbye, relieved that his friends had made it out unscathed. Still focused on getting himself away from the area, the boy continued looking somewhat down as he approached his vessel.

"R2!" he called to the chattering droid. "Get her ready for takeoff." As he buckled into his seat, however, something seemed different. "R2, are you sure you got the right…" He cut off upon seeing what was behind him.

"You didn't think I'd let you go off and see one of my oldest mentors without me, did you?" Kelly asked, grinning broadly. "You know, I think I downed about two of those giant walking things myself! I have to admit, that was the most fun I've had in a while."

"Why aren't you on one of the transports?"

"Because I promised Ben that I'd look after you, plus you may need a good word put in for you. Yoda's tough to get by."

Luke didn't reply to her cheery mood; rather he responded to R2's alerts.

"Don't worry R2. We're going. We're going!"

Kelly took over and spun the craft drastically once they had cleared the blockade of Imperial ships, to Luke's distaste.

"You need to learn to relax a bit, Luke. Being tense like Elaina is bad for your health."

"Yes, Aunt Kelly." He paused, noticing the woman's lack of reaction. "Ben told me that my father was your brother."

"He's annoying that way."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You'll have to learn, Luke, that there are things that should only be revealed to you in their own time."

--

Darth Vader wandered through the frozen halls, followed by a mass of stormtroopers. No one else noticed it, but he felt a presence that was strange, yet familiar and potentially powerful. If he didn't know better, he would have thought it to be Obi-Wan. His only disappointment was that the source was definitely not Elaina, yet something potentially just as useful and powerful. Then his masked eyes saw it: a partially cleared hallway and room.

"Commander, clear the ice out of that area," he demanded coldly, staring into the ice as if to melt it with a single glance.

--

Qui-Gon dropped down from his height against the shelves, giving the grate's lock one last turn.

"I almost got it. The last screw is out," he stated.

"Qui-Gon, can't we just wait?" Jay worried. It wasn't that she afraid of being left behind by the Rebellion or of not knowing what the Empire would do if they found the two remaining residents, for she knew that that would be the only reason for the abandonment; however, she vocally vouched for a lunch break.

Being trapped in a small space with one of the most sought-after eligible young bachelors on the planet, it was difficult to avoid temptation; however, lustful temptation was not what drew her to Qui-Gon, she knew. It was far deeper and more long-term than that.

What really worried the doctor were her increasingly low temperature and, more prominently, the confusion and danger which lay ahead if they chose to traverse the ventilation system. She had seen the schematics, unfortunately. The system was full of winding turns, drop-offs, suctioning fans, and all sorts of barriers which she dreaded dearly.

"Jay," the man countered, gently gripping her shoulders in earnest, "I have a bad feeling about this entire situation. I am more than confident that the rescue out there would not have left unless either the princess herself was trapped somewhere (unlikely), or the base was being evacuated and they panicked. Sadly, the latter is far more likely, which means that Imperial troops could dig us out at any moment…then, who knows what will happen."

"Commander, it's highly unlikely that…"

"I couldn't live if I knew that I didn't do everything I could to keep you safe, Jaylyn."

The confession slightly startled the physician. While everyone on her team had teased Jay about a potential relationship with the young officer when not flirting themselves, she had never actually paid much attention to his fascination of her which had been clear to all but the head surgeon, until then. True, she may have done a tiny bit of innocent fantasizing, but that had nothing to do with it. Qui-Gon Kenobi was honorable, talented, and handsome; someone practically any girl would desire to be couple with.

"What are you saying?" she still asked. Though the previous statement had possessed evident meaning, she still wanted a straight-out fact.

He took her hands, his chocolate eyes looking deep into hers. She had always remained purposefully aloof overall to his charm, but there had always been something, especially in the past year, which seemed to draw the two together. What had held her back? What was still keeping from just stating the truth? She cared for Qui-Gon more than she had for anyone else. Could she put her feelings into words, though?

"I…" he began, but he didn't go any further. The sound of a drill cut him short.

Nervously stepping back from their unexpectedly close proximity, Jay cleared her throat, blushing a slight bit.

"What did I tell you? I knew they'd be back."

"No," he argued, stepping towards the bowed door and listening. Voices could be faintly heard:

"Lord Vader, but a few more minutes and we'll be through."

"Lord Vader, what exactly do you believe is behind this ice?"

"The rebels cleared their tracks quite well. You have found no remaining inhabitants; therefore, whoever is behind this door may give us the information we need."

Qui-Gon's eyes widened as he whispered harshly,

"It's Vader. The Empire is here, Jay! It was an evacuation!"

"Quiet! They'll here you," the girl hissed back, dragging the young man as far away from the door as possible. "About that grill…" They both looked up at the only possible escape.

"Ready to face your fears?"

"With you, I can hardly be afraid of anything." He smiled warmly and hopped back onto the shelves, giving the grate a solid hit with his fist. It popped out of its ice and metal bed instantly and he moved gently aside. Jay meanwhile buttoned her coat and donned her gloves in anticipation. "What's the plan?"

"Well, first, I'll lift you up there and you make sure it's stable; otherwise, this'll be a very short escape. We'll take the _Windu_; it was still in the launch bay with the transports when I last looked and it's probably still there."

She agreed, but when his hands went about her waist, the doctor stopped him.

"Wait! Qui-Gon, I have to tell you something."

"Hurry, they're getting closer," he murmuring, glancing at the now shaking entrance.

"I love you," the woman blurted out. It was the Commander's turn to pause. It was obviously not anticipated, but his eyes lit up anyway.

"Really?"

"I don't know for how long. I just know that I do!" She almost cringed, waiting for his answer. There was something, almost regret, in his expressive eyes.

"I love you, too." What the girl didn't see coming, of all outcomes, was that he would passionately kiss her full on the mouth before launching her towards the ceiling, which forced her to find a hold in the opening. Once she had scrambled up, the full effect of the contact hit home.

Seeing that the tunnel was stable, Jay looked back down. He handed her a light, as practical, gave her a gaze full of recognized love and, oddly, sadness…and slid the grate back into place before she could bat an eye.

"Qui-Gon!" she screeched, banging on the seal. The only answer was the locking switch. She could barely distinguish his frame through the tiny air holes of the grate. "Qui-Gon, please, don't do this," she pleaded, but in more of a whimper, for she knew of the man's intentions. Calling out would risk making his sacrifice for nothing.

But how could she care?! She loved the man! She couldn't just abandon him!

Then again, she could go to the main force of the Rebellion and get help. A rescue mission for someone like Qui-Gon could be arranged in a matter of hours, or minutes if Aylana and Kelly had anything to do with it. Yes, get help.

Wiping an already-freezing tear from her cheek, the surgeon steeled herself, switched her light on, and began slowly crawling forward. The launch bay couldn't be far…

--

Qui-Gon set his jaw and tried blocking out the echo of Jay's cry. He loved her and her protection was more important to him than anything. As long as she was safe, the Empire could do anything they wanted to him.

His numb fingers hovered over his gun as the soldiers' digging came closer and closer. The door collapsed inward with a puff of steam. He fired his weapon into the quickly dissipating mist; however, the shots came bouncing back. Lowering the gun, the warrior almost quivered. Not five feet away, walking toward him, was Darth Vader. His gun flew into the Sith's hand with an unspoken command. The stormtroopers had their rifles fixed on him. The will to fight seemed to drain away.

But Jay was safe.

So, the codename 'S.Q.E.A.K.' (pronounced: skeek) does have a meaning that will be revealed later on. Thanks for reading and please review!


	19. Encounters of Many Kinds

Thanks I love dance, DragonRider2000, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Encounters of Many Kinds

Luke exhaustedly stared into the vast nothingness of space, still not sure whether or not he liked the idea of Kelly tagging along. She was apparently older, more experienced, and she knew this Yoda person, but it was unnerving to have so many secrets right in front of him without knowing where to start or if he should even ask at all!

Three years ago, he knew Kelly as the sister of his best friend, just a simple girl living with her hermit father. Then, suddenly, it turned out that her father was actually her husband, her brother was her son, and she had been a Jedi Knight even as far back as the Clone Wars. Now, she seemed to interpret, understand, and shadow his every move like her life depended on it! Frankly, it was a bit much to handle with so much knowledge so close.

"We should be there in just a few moments," the woman casually pointed out from her momentary point of control.

"Have you ever been to Dagobah?" he asked, glancing back and hoping for any history of her background.

"Nope, never been there," was the reply. Luke was crestfallen! Was that all she would say?! Luckily, the other commander was in more of a chatty mood than he predicted…perhaps more than he wanted. "In fact, the only time I ever even heard of Dagobah was in Jedi training. I forget exactly which Master taught that class, but he was sure boring! It might have been interesting if Master Windu had taught the class…of course, the only classes he personally taught (when he wasn't on missions or whatever) were combat, battle technique, and negotiation. They were my favorite…well, not so much with the negotiating. I always tended to shoot first and ask questions later."

His lazy interest peaked, the aspiring Jedi noticed the name 'Windu' more than most of that dialogue.

"Master Windu? Who exactly was he? Elaina's ship is named after him, right?"

Kelly barked an amused laugh.

"Who was he? Only one of the greatest Jedi in history! Master Windu was my Master." The last sentence was spoken with a reminiscent sigh.

"Your master?"

"Oh…" She giggled, bubbling with facts. "Every padawan, that is a child in training to become a Jedi, has…had a Jedi who was in charge of that padawan alone. The padawans learn from their masters through obedience and observance. When they were on Coruscant, they took classes in the temple. Elaina and I were lucky enough to be trained by Masters on the council."

"The council?" Just then, he realized how ridiculous his questions probably sounded.

"They were the leading body of the Jedi order. During my time, there were probably about dozen or so members. Those promoted to the council were normally given the rank and official title of Master. Your father was an exception because he was so young, while most others were far older and more experienced. He probably would have earned the title within a month if not for the Empire's takeover."

There were so many questions to ask, but one in particular required attention.

"What was my father like?"

The silence following almost made him regret asking.

"Anakin was…well, what do want to know? I could start with his physical appearance and work my way up?" He gave his consent. "As an adult, Anakin was quite tall, a good several inches taller than me, and strong, both mentally and physically; he had clear blue eyes, golden brown hair, and a gaze that could have disarmed any woman he wanted." She chuckled at that and paused, but Luke didn't dare interrupt. The picture building in his mind made him wish to have known his father even more. "He was gentle, passionate, caring, protective…simply wonderful! From a very early age, stubborn, splendid with anything that flew, and adoring when it came to those he cared about…just like you. He was a good boy."

"What happened?"

"What did Ben tell you?"

"That Vader killed him…"

"Then that's the truth."

She refused to say more, using their arrival at Dagobah as a cover.

"Yes, that's it: Dagobah," the boy replied to R2's query, taking over the controls.

--

"Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior!" 3PO protested as Chewie dragged him to another part of the ship.

Just as it clicked in the princess' mind that she was now alone in the compartment with the mongrel captain, another mysterious jolt sent her falling into his arms backwards. If she didn't know better, she would have easily blamed Han for it. Where was Elaina when she needed her?! She was her bodyguard! She was supposed to protect Leia and had done a good job of it before becoming obsessed with Kelly and this three-year project.

"Let go," she ordered when the man simply stayed leaning against the ship's side, supporting her with his arms.

"Ssh!" he countered, seemingly listening for the cause of the shock.

"Let go, please!" Leia insisted, realizing that she was beginning to feel far less upset than she vocalized from the close contact. Her hackles really did rise when he retorted.

"Don't get excited!"

"Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited."

"Sorry, sweetheart." With that, he stiffly put the girl back on her feet. "We haven't got time for anything else."

Though she glared after him, once the man was out of the room with the door closed behind him, confusion was evident in her eyes. Practically all her life, she had dealt with more situations than most people, even with the Senate and the Emperor himself…once, at least. Why did she feel lost in this situation? She only trusted one person enough to ask such thing.

Resolved, the princess opened the door and headed for one of the storage compartments where Zelishka and Elaina were probably working on their undertaking. The conversation she fell upon, however, stopped her before turning the corner into the room the two were occupying.

"I think…I…got it!" Elaina's tired voice hummed contentedly, noisily hitting a button. "What do you think?"

Silence overtook the area as the bodyguard's companion was probably scanning whatever they were working on for the time being. A good few minutes passed.

"Ano," the scientist confirmed in his own language. His speech seemed almost a purr, as if only to please her. "I think we have it. And I think I've finished the rough-draft designs. What do you think?"

Again, silence.

"The power source and the capacitor are well-shielded, correct? I don't want this thing dying off a week after we actually build it. I'd like it to actually be used."

Relin laughed.

"Of course…"

"It only has enough power, though, for one use, right?"

"Yes."

"And the designations are overall calculated?"

"Yes."

"Then, I think we're getting closer than I thought! How long do you think it'll take to build it?"

"Mm, I'd say…no more than a couple of months."

"Months! That's the best news I've had in ages!"

"Aylana?"

"Yeah?"

The discomfort was evident in Zelishka's voice.

"What do you plan to do after this is all done?"

"What do you mean?"

"This project has been you passion, your focus for three years, now. You need something to make you relax a bit."

"There you go with that again! I'm not going to try improving my 'people skills', if that's what you're getting at…they're fine!"

"Retire!"

"What?! Relin, if you're saying this to try getting out of this project, then be my guest. But don't go trying to make me feel bad for it. S.Q.E.A.K. could be the only chance we have of fixing things."

"No, retire from the Rebellion…or rather the military part of it. Let someone else take that burden. Then, you can focus all your efforts on your original reason for being here."

"Why?"

"Eh!"

"Leave me alone! Thank you for your help, but I think I can take it from here, Doctor."

Leia stepped out of the way when the man came storming by, not even noticing her as he grumbled to himself. She decided that, with Elaina's mood, the best thing would be to simply lay the problem before her.

"Elaina," she said, coming around the corner and seeing her friend shut a computer and begin to fold away several papers stretched across the table, "you have taught me everything I know…" The blond simply began gruffly placing the items into a carton. "…but, you never taught me about love."

The general paused.

"Yes, I did."

Leia scoffed.

"Allusions of your sob stories hardly taught me that…the only thing it did was warn me of trusting anyone."

"All right, I apologize. What is the problem…at the moment?"

"Han."

Elaina burst out laughing, an old twinkle rekindling in her eye.

--

Kelly stood staring into the slightly dissipated mist on the water while Luke continued muttering to a charging R2, sitting next to the small heater and eating the stuff he called food.

"Now, all I have to do is find this Yoda…if he even exists." The girl laughed to herself. The boy was such a doubter. Yoda would have fun breaking him of that. "Still…there's something familiar about this place. I feel like…"

"Feel like what?"

Kelly hardly reacted to the new voice (she had, after all, sensed the faintly familiar presence); however, Luke practically leapt to the sky, whipping out his gun. The woman held herself back, trying to remember the reservation she had always required in the Master's presence.

"Like we're being watched!"

"Away with your weapon! I mean you no harm." The brunette turned and gaped at the shriveled, bluish-green, two-foot creature sitting on a giant root, cowering behind his cane. She knew exactly who it was, but she couldn't believe it, looking at him. "I am wondering, why are you here?"

"I'm looking for someone," Luke answered, hesitantly lowering his weapon.

"Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmm?" Always looking for the obvious contradiction…

"Right…"

"Help you, I can. Yes, mm." Apparently, he hadn't seen Kelly, yet, as she was still in the shadows a bit.

"I don't think so. I'm looking for a great warrior."

"Ah! Great warrior… Wars not make one great!"

Having descended from the root, the frail dwarf made his way over to the enormous box of supplies and began fishing through it, first taking a nibble of the food Luke had been eating.

"Put that down. Hey! That's my dinner!" the boy protested. Yoda was obviously simply ignoring Kelly, she realized, because he still did not react to her presence when she laughed out loud. Luke seemed so helpless in the face of such an entity. The creature spat the nibble out as the hopeful padawan took the tray from him.

"How you get so big eating food of this kind?" His frog-like voice still cracked her up and his appearance made her quite pity him; therefore, she held her nephew back when he tried stopping the wasteful pilfering.

"Wait, Luke," she murmured, still holding the kid back, "just look at him! Isn't he cute? He's looks like a wet puppy!" Yoda turned back for a moment with narrowed eyes and drooping ears. "Sorry…"

"Listen, friend," her companion went on, getting free of her grasp, "we didn't mean to land in that puddle and, if we could get our ship out, we would, but we can't, so why don't you just…"

"Aw," Yoda interrupted teasingly, "cannot get your ship out! Oh!" With that, he snatched a lamp, turning it on and waving it around.

"Hey, you could have broken this!" was the complaint concerning one of the tossed objects. "Don't do that. Oh, you're making a mess! Hey, give me that!"

"Mine! Or I will help you not."

"I don't want your help. I want my lamp back. I'll need it to get out of this slimy mud hole."

"Mud hole? Slimy? My home this is!" With that, R2 tried snatching the lamp from the ancient one and they proceeded in a game of tug-of-war, in which Yoda used his cane as a club. "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

"R2, let him have it," Luke relented, giving up. Kelly simply walked out of hearing range, tired of the squabbling. This was definitely not the Yoda she remembered. This guy was…crazy! "Kelly," he called at last, trotting over to her, "he says he knows Yoda. It's a long shot, but it seems our only chance of finding him right now."

"Of course he does…ok!" the woman exclaimed, jogging after Yoda, leaving Luke apparently rather baffled.

--

Sure, it was wrong…listening in on a private conversation when it didn't concern her…but she had practically raised Leia! Seeing her through the start of the relationship between her and her perfect match was quite within the lines of protection. It made Elaina wistful just listening. She could tell that the two young adults were but inches away from each other.

"What are you afraid of?" Han asked quietly.

"Afraid?" the princess whispered back, her defiance slowly melting away.

"You're trembling."

"I'm not trembling."

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life."

"I happen to like nice men."

"I'm a nice man."

"No, you're not. You're…"

The blond quickly and quietly walked away, completely oblivious to 3PO's purpose when he passed her by on his way to tell Han of a technical success. In their long-needed discussion, teacher and girl had touched on the subject of love as something that wasn't just pain and sadness. In Elaina's experience, that been nearly the entire sum of it. Apparently, her terrible history had held Leia back from pursuing romance of any kind. But, that was all fixed.

Han was a scoundrel, an every-day liar, and a cheat, but he would be faithful and caring to the last…that much the bodyguard had discovered in her scanty friendship with Han and companionable chats with Chewie. She knew that they were perfect for each other and Elaina's historic 'sob stories' didn't need to keep Leia from happiness.

Just then, she realized that she had come upon the room in which the S.Q.E.A.K. plans was stored. She simply shook her head and walked away. She needed a break and food sounded good.

--

Vader stood from the kneeling position he had taken before his Master.

"Continue with your work and bring him before me," the Emperor had said regarding the new captive.

A quick order sent an officer scurrying to fetch the boy. After the capture, the dark lord had only gained one chance so far of trying to break the new trophy. His strength reminded him of Obi-Wan, which further inflamed Vader's anger, but he would submit, with the help of the Emperor's Ally…he still thought it was a stupid name.

"My Lord," the officer, returning, addressed him. The Sith turned to gaze on the officer, two guards, and, standing between them, a young man of slightly taller-than-average height and good build. He seemed to be slightly favoring his right arm (it had been in a cast of some sort during his capture) and a trail of dried blood stuck to the side of his noble face from a head wound the guards had given him.

"Leave us," the masked demon ordered icily. The three escorts immediately obeyed, leaving the boy standing before Vader, giving the captor an unblinking, bold stare. He had long learned the cost of struggle towards the former Jedi Knight.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, motioning to his upper arm. He had been injected with the Emperor's Ally a good ten minutes before. The boy's voice, however, made Vader stop all movement. His voice sounded almost exactly like Obi-Wan's, aside from the lack of an accent. Looking at the eyes, there could be no mistake. He had not forgotten the terrible details of years gone by. They were Kelly's eyes. Kelly's eyes, Kelly's defiance, Obi-Wan's general appearance, and Obi-Wan's voice.

"What is your name, boy?"

Rebellion flickered a moment, but what was the danger in a name?

"Qui-Gon." Vader waited. "Qui-Gon Kenobi."

The anger boiled over…the anger and the victory.

"And did your mother ever tell you about her history…about your lineage…about your namesake?"

"…some." He was confused…just where he needed to be.

"Then, perhaps, I should enlighten you, my dear nephew."

The shock and disgust overwhelmed and flooded Qui-Gon's composure. Yes, his barrier would soon diminish. Obi-Wan would suffer yet another failure and Kelly…her punishment would be seeing her son in her place.

I love Yoda!!!!! Thanks for reading and please review!


	20. Bonds

Thanks I love dance, Katie Ladmoore, and DragonRider2000 so much for your reviews!

Hehe! I didn't realize how long this was until I was one scene away from finishing it. Oh well, enjoy!

Pink's "Who Knew" is for scene 4, Rascal Flatts' "Love Who You Love" is with scene 5, and Rascal Flatts' "Stand" is with scene 8…

Bonds

Luke began to get impatient, as he had since their first encounter with the puny green animal that lived in this hovel. It even further agitated him to see how content Kelly seemed, as she had instantly kicked back on an offered cushion with a cup of tea in her hand (which she had just nearly finished), though not before anxiously asking their determined host if he needed any help in the kitchen.

Tired of the waiting, he half-stood and practically crawled to the kitchen, his nearly-as-tall friend simply remaining seated in confident enjoyment of the moment.

"Look, I'm sure it's delicious," he complained, motioning to the pot of soup on the fire. "I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda now."

"Patience!" the creature cried good-humoredly, continuing his back-and-forth motions as he chuckled. "For the Jedi, it is time to eat as well. Eat! Eat! Hot! Good food, hmm? Good, hmm?"

Kelly, who had already eagerly helped herself, vocalized hums of approval through a full mouth, encouragingly handing the spatula to the boy and returning to her nest. Surprisingly enough, the food indeed tasted rather appetizing, earning a generous serving of the concoction. Still, he had an important task at hand.

"How far way is Yoda? Will it take us long to get there?"

"Not far…Yoda not far. Patience! Soon, you will be with him." The cook approached to check his pot. "Rootleaf, I cook. Why wish you become Jedi, hmm?"

The brunette interrupted, suddenly laughing quietly as she addressed the thing.

"My friend, I never imagined you being a cook. This is an excellent dish!"

Laughter proceeded around him. He didn't understand, so he answered the previous question.

"Mostly because of my father, I guess."

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "…your father. Powerful Jedi was he…powerful Jedi, mm…"

"Oh, come on! How could you know my father? You don't even know who I am!" With that, the young man tossed his bowl in frustration. "Oh, I don't know what I'm doing here! We're wasting our time."

"I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience." Luke swiveled around, staring at the speaker who had strangely spoken in third person.

"He will learn patience," a new voice protested. Only Luke seemed at all surprised. Kelly merely smiled.

"Hmm, much anger in him, like his father."

"Was I any different when you taught me?"

"Ha! He is not ready."

It suddenly clicked.

"Yoda! I am ready. I…Ben! I can be a Jedi. Ben, tell him I'm ready!" He tried standing in his desperation, but obviously whacked his head on the ceiling.

"Ready, are you?" Yoda queried mysteriously to the lad, suddenly changing from a worthless mud rat to a strict leader. "What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind." Now, he generally spoke, though mainly to Ben. "This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away…to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was." He poked the dazed Luke with his cane. "Hmm? What he was doing! Humph. Adventure. He! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You. Are. Reckless!"

"So was I, if you'll remember," Ben pointed out.

"He is too old. Yes, too old to begin the training."

"But I've learned so much," Luke argued sincerely. Indeed, from the combination of Ben's advice, his own experience, and Kelly's occasional guidance, he had learned a great amount of knowledge. His companions stared at a space in the room intently.

"Will he finish what he begins?"

"I won't fail you!" the boy insisted. "I'm not afraid."

The room seemed to darken.

"Oh, you will be. You will be."

--

"Dr. Erassa!" the deckhand cried in alarm as Jay descended the ramp of the _Windu_ with only the two technicians she had found abandoned in the base's hangar following her. "Where is Commander Qui-Gon? What happened?"

"Where is Princess Leia?" the woman snapped, getting down to business. The man's face clouded over at the name. "General Jinn? Commander Kelly? Commander Skywalker?!"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Last we heard, the princess was accompanying Captain Solo on the _Millennium Falcon_. We assume that General Jinn went with them. As for the commanders…they went on a semi-planned detour. I don't know where to…"

"Commander Qui-Gon has been captured. I need to speak with whoever's in charge, now!"

Panic appeared in his eyes and he turned to another hand before Jay had even finished.

"Riner! Inform command that our rendezvous site has been compromised."

"What are you doing?!" she yelled, beginning to lose composure. "We need to prepare a rescue team! We have to save him!"

"Ma'am…" She snarled at being called 'ma'am'. She wasn't old enough for that in the least. "…you can go to the command center, but I doubt that there's anything they can do, either. Without Princess Leia, General Jinn, or the like, we are rather short on leadership. I doubt that a rescue mission could be even somewhat planned until they return."

The surgeon steamed as the man walked away to tend to the _Windu_ and promptly exited the hangar. She would do all in her power to save Qui-Gon.

…unfortunately, the momentary leadership would not be quite so enthusiastically desperate in that respect.

--

Leia leaned back, dozing in the _Falcon_'s cockpit pilot chair. Had she really kissed and fallen for the exact type of man she had always avoided in her political days? What had possessed her?! What was she thinking?!

Love. Love was the answer Elaina had given her. It was something that needed to be nurtured and carefully navigated, else someone exited the situation with a broken heart and irreparable conscience. It could neither be rushed into nor held back when indisputably true, as Elaina had described this case to be. The concluding advice of the bodyguard had been: "Don't ruin this chance for true love. I guarantee it won't come again,"…or something to that effect. Now, she had to figure out what was rushing and what was too slow.

Suddenly, a flutter of movement outside the window caught the princess' attention. The unexpected planting of a creepy, big-mouthed, orange creature on the glass caused her to give a quick scream of surprise and run out.

"There's something out there," she told Han fiercely, still shivering slightly from the scare.

"Where?" he queried dumbly.

"Outside, in the cave…"

Banging noises from the outside attested to her claim.

--

Sitting on a log, she glared at her laid-back husband as the sound of Luke's running steps melted into the forest in the initiation of his training. Obi-Wan's only hint of discomfort was a twitch of the eyes.

"I was decent enough not to bring this up in front of Luke while we were in the house…but, come on, Ben! First, you tell me, practically order me to not tell Luke anything about his relation regarding me, then, you go and tell him that we're his aunt and uncle?! Blasted, Ben, you might as well tell him about his father and my own little jaunt with the dark side! He may not seem very bright most of the time, but he's at least smart enough to make some connections with that."

He swallowed hard and passed over the impulsive dialogue.

"Kelly, may I ask why you are so tense right now?"

"Tense? The only thing I'm tense about is your two-faced lie."

"No, I have the feeling that it's something different. Usually, even something like this doesn't make you quite so…strained."

The widow gazed a moment more before looking away.

"Other than your trickery?" She snatched a glance. He was simply staring expectantly. "You. It's been three years, Ben. I know it's not the most ideal thing…I see you all the time, talk to you…but, it's not the same. I know that for years, we had foreseen something like it happening. We both saw your duel with Vader long before it actually happened. I knew that I'd still have you and that I'd never lose you again…but, I was still in denial. I thought I could change it. I thought I could save you and stop it from happening.

"When we first built up even somewhat of a relationship all those years ago, I felt that I had to fight for you every step of the way, between Elaina's feelings and the rules of the order. It was awful loving you and not being able to be with you. I knew it was the worst thing I had ever felt. When we went away together, even with all that had happened, I was positive that nothing could take it away, nothing could tear us apart. When you…died, with your help, I convinced myself that I would never have to worry about you anymore and I could focus on others. It was only superficial.

"I know that you're with me now even more so than you could have ever been, I can see and hear you." Kelly paused, slightly out of breath. She knew she was rambling a bit and that Ben was patiently waiting for the point (even though the knowing sympathy was already reflected in his eyes). "Obi-Wan, I can't touch you…I can't hold you or be held by you. Words have never been very effective with me and they never will. You're here, but you're still gone. I can't change that and it hurts!

"I have denied it for so long, but I can't anymore! By doing your 'brave' act on the Death Star, you deprived the Rebellion of a leader, Luke and Leia of an uncle, Qui-Gon of a father, and me of a husband." The woman was leaning forward pleadingly. Obi-Wan seemed to want to embrace and comfort her, but the knowledge that he couldn't comfort her with more than words seemed to also trouble him. "Please," she brokenly prayed, "Obi-Wan…I don't know what to do with myself anymore. Life isn't worth living without you."

Of course, her lengthy speech echoed through the trees. Both husband and wife were digesting what Kelly had just said. She had just poured out the feelings which had been building since the man's demise.

"Kelly," he finally whispered, "I know how you feel…not being able to be close to you. My only consolation is that Luke still has you to guide him. It is frugal, but effective."

"And once that is done?"

"The rest of the galaxy will need you. Darling, you must stay. You cannot give up. You still have a great role to play in the struggle we've been fighting in for so long. Our desires to be together must come after the needs of Luke, Leia, Qui-Gon, Elaina, and everyone else who deserves a chance for freedom."

Kelly nodded stiffly and looked at his hand. Oh, how she wanted to hold it!

"Just like the last time we couldn't be together, eh?"

"This time, the end result will be forever."

--

Bounty Hunters. Few that Qui-Gon had ever met were even somewhat amiable and those assembled on the star destroyer's bridge were some of the least amiable in the galaxy, namely Boba Fett, whom the young man had encountered on one or two occasions. Those occasions had nearly cost him his head. The dread of being caught between Fett and Vader caused him to strictly face the window at which he had been left (unshackled, surprisingly enough, though there wasn't much he could do to get away, anyhow), keeping his back turned towards the entourage.

It took all of the boy's effort just to stay standing. It had mostly nothing to do with any bodily harm done to him; in fact, they had hardly done so much as occasionally give him a light shove when he resisted ever since his arrival on the ship. Instead, he felt dizzy and weak. He suffered nearly constant hallucinations (which had thankfully ceased momentarily) of people and situations he knew, but simultaneously didn't. He suffered incredible pain whenever he disobeyed even a slight demand from the Sith. He felt more vulnerable than he ever had.

The only answer seemed to be in the injection they had given him. Aylana herself had described her symptoms from the Empire's new interrogation device exactly as what he was going through. It could only get better, right? If not, he at least knew his friends were all right…and Jay.

"My lord, we have them."

The _Falcon_! So, Captain Solo hadn't escaped through the asteroid field after all! The other large craft in sight instantly began firing upon his colleague's vessel. Something strangely began tickling the back of his mind. Even more oddly, he knew what it was. Leia and Aylana were with Han. His commander, best friend, and mentor was out there with her life on the line and all Qui-Gon could do was sit there and watch, hoping that by some miracle the destroyer wouldn't obliterate its target before it could jump to lightspeed.

Vader stepped to his side to watch, not that there was anything to be seen since it was the other ship dealing with the fray some ways off, though flashing of laser fire could still be viewed.

"They will be captured or destroyed," the tower stated. "You cannot help your friends." Couldn't the creature sense Aylana?! Couldn't he tell that one of the live prizes he desired most was on that ship?! Then, he became aware…Qui-Gon was Force sensitive! He had potential with the Force, possibly more so than the stony giant beside him. Could it help Aylana and Leia? "Watch and learn, boy, that the Emperor is not to be toyed with. If you had submitted easily, I may have spared this ship and its crew." Vader turned in apparent surprise just as Qui-Gon felt as if someone was in his mind, reading his thoughts. He pushed at it, but only gained a shock of agony. His enemy continued.

"Someone you care about is on that ship…and someone else was in that closet with you before we found you. Someone you care for more than anything." Who was he to go nosing about with Jay? "Perhaps, if you prove to be more of a problem than I anticipated, I could use her as leverage." The boy glared. Vader had hit a nerve that was off limits. "Elaina could help me." Aylana… "Yes, she will come willingly enough to her Master. With her power, I can easily lure her into my grasp. You would be more than cooperative after that, I'm sure."

"You wouldn't!" Qui-Gon hissed, his tension going through the roof. If he even touched Jay…

"I would. I can. And I will."

He would never touch her!

"No, you won't!" the captive exclaimed, feeling anger swell within him. At the same moment, reports came in from all ship commands that all weapons and life support systems had just shut down with quite an explosion. From his hazy viewpoint, a small detonation could be seen at the rear of another craft. Qui-Gon knew of his responsibility.

"Yes," Vader cooed, "my young apprentice, you will do well." He then raised his voice to the officers. "Inquire as to why it is taking Captain Needa so long to obey a single small command."

Just then, the young man realized his terrifying and inevitable fate. His only regret was having not confessed his feelings long ago. Now, he would probably never see her again and never have a second chance.

--

"Use the Force, yes," Yoda encouraged, confidently balancing himself on Luke's wavering foot. Maybe there was hope for him after all. "Now…the stone. Feel it." Just as uncertainly, the padawan reached his arm to raise up the head-sized rock. The Jedi Master nonchalantly looked towards the woman who was standing about twenty feet away, focusing on some training he had suggested. Slowly, her lightsaber patterned incredibly strenuous figures as she calmly went along with closed eyes. Suddenly, his pedestal became rather unstable. "Concentrate!" he cried, tumbling to the ground.

Flustered, he wedged himself up with his cane and realized that the boy's distraction had been the sinking ship. Kelly simply continued her exercises.

"Oh, no, we'll never get it out, now!" Luke whined, walking towards the pond. Yoda was tired of the persistent whimpering of his new apprentice.

"So certain are you? Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?"

"Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different!"

"No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

"All right, I'll give it a try…"

"No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Resigned, he raised his arm, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Surprisingly enough, the craft began rising from the swamp; however, it wasn't hard to believe when it sank right back down even further after hardly a foot of progress. Luke instantly staggered back towards Yoda and collapsed on the ground beside him, panting and sweating.

"…I can't. It's too big."

"Size matters not," the green creature countered, determined to not lose the progress they had made. "Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? And well you should not. For my ally in the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we…" He pinched the boy's shoulder. "…not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you…me…the tree…the rock…everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship!"

"You want the impossible!" Luke exclaimed, getting up and walking further inland. As he rose himself and contemplated the problem at hand, Kelly approached, having watched the scene.

"Do you want me to…" she murmured, but he interrupted.

"…no. What do you think I am…old?" They laughed at that, but the master quickly sobered. "This must I do. A doubting spirit he has."

"Yes, he's very much like me in many ways…but, he has much of his mother's nature. He knows what is right and wrong. It's in his soul to know the difference. All he has to do is reach out and trust the Force. Considering, you're doing an excellent job with it…better than what I have been able to accomplish with this whole business of family secrecy." Touching his shoulder, the woman returned to her work.

Yoda merely closed his eyes and concentrated. It was a good feeling to use the Force on something close and physical rather than simply watching from afar. He had seen Kelly's son grow up, Obi-Wan's death, Elaina's trials and hopes to fix everything, Vader's ill deeds, Luke's faltering, Leia's strength…now, like Kelly and Elaina, he was trying to set things right like a fool…changing what could not be undone; yet, perhaps, this young protégée could remedy the faults of his predecessors.

In wonder, Luke ran his hands along the side of his ship.

"I don't…I don't believe it."

Teaching him would be a difficult task.

"That is why you fail."

--

The pathetic captain fell to his superior's feet, dead.

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa."

"Lord Vader," Admiral Piett addressed him, approaching, "our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the _Millennium Falcon_ went into lightspeed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now."

"Alert all commands. Calculate every possible destination along their last known trajectory."

"Yes, my lord. We'll find them."

"Don't fail me again, Admiral."

Vader instantly walked away, heading towards his chamber where he knew the future apprentice would be waiting, as he had commanded. He was there, of course, standing as far in the corner as he possibly could without looking too conspicuous.

"Your rebel friends will soon be in our clutches. They will not get far." The boy was still in shock over the damage he had caused to the Imperial vessels, something which did not concern Vader but had thoroughly disconcerted the officers. He was vulnerable to influence. "I think it a tragedy when I contemplate their fates…especially Jay's." He had long discovered the lover's identity. "Of course, if you joined me more willingly, I still might consider sparing her…and perhaps a few others."

He finally stirred.

"What about Ay…Elaina? What about…my mother?" Discovering that he had been lied to all his life by both his own mother and his commanding officer (not to mention his best friend in the alliance) had been quite the blow. His guard was nearly down, but an 'offer' would simply break it further.

"Their fates are in their own hands."

"You can't expect to just…"

"They are traitors! To both of us! My dear nephew, the only one who knows about that past and has not told you a single lie is me. Can you deny that?"

Just one more push, and he would surely be the Emperor's willing servant…a scourge to the Rebellion…Elaina…and Kelly.

--

"Zelishka?" she whispered, entering the storage area. The scientist was hard at work with the computer she had only put away a short time before. He ignored her. "Zelishka. Relin." He finally responded, though his look was less than inviting. "Relin, what are you doing?"

"…finishing your designs."

"Relin, they're our designs. I wouldn't have been able…" He simply turned away again, snubbing her. "Relin, I'm sorry! I've been nothing but bantha fodder towards you ever since we started this. I've hardly ever said 'thank you' or 'sorry'. I've shunned you whenever we weren't working…in fact, I even rejected your offers to dinner, breakfast, drinks. The fact is: I am really sorry."

Slowly, the man turned towards her.

"You're apologizing?"

"Of course I'm apologizing!" she scoffed. "What else do you think I've been yammering about?" He shook his head in wonder.

"Sure, you're forgiven."

Elaina laughed slightly while leaving as she heard the persistent mutterings resume. Somewhat relieved, the girl headed for the cockpit. The first thing she heard was 3PO's grating complaints.

"I really don't see how that is going to help. Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances. The Empire may be gracious enough…" He was cut off as Leia shut him down.

"Thank you," the captain muttered.

"What did you have in mind for your next move?" Leia asked.

"Yes, do tell, Han. I would like to know your plan as well," Elaina added, leaning into the conversation good-naturedly, though keeping a respectful distance from Leia and Han.

"Well," he replied, "if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before they go to lightspeed, then we just float away." The blond peered around to note that the ship was planted against the larger craft: hidden in plain sight.

"…with the rest of the garbage," the princess offered. "Then what?"

"Then, we've got to find a safe port somewhere around here. Got any ideas?"

"No, where are we?"

He brought up the long-range scanner.

"…the Anoat system."

"Anoat system…there's not much there."

"No…well, wait. This is interesting: Lando."

"Lando system?" the women queried together.

"Lando's not a system, he's a man: Lando Calrissian. He's a card player, gambler, scoundrel. You'd both like him."

"Thanks," they sarcastically said, again simultaneously, to the captain's evident disturbance.

"…Bespin. It's pretty far, but I think we can make it."

"A mining colony?" Leia questioned, leaning over to see the screen.

"Yeah, a Tibanna gas mine. Lando conned somebody out of it. We go back a long way, Lando and me."

"Can you trust him?"

"No, but he has no love for the Empire, I can tell you that."

Lando…it struck a chord in Elaina, as if it was from a dream or something. It was probably from a vision, but there had been so many, that they all ran together. She had long given up in trying to decipher them and asking for help wasn't an option.

"What is he like…Lando?" the bodyguard asked blandly, masking any possible interest.

"Oh, like I said: scoundrel and gambler…oh, and a ladies' man…over the top! But he's never had an interest that lasted much longer than a few days. I'm surprised he took the chance of being stuck in one spot as leader of this place." He quickly looked outside. "Here we go, Chewie. Stand by. Detach!"

With an initial jolt, the _Falcon_ smoothly floated away from the star destroyer, along with the giant vessel's rubbish.

"You have your moments," the brunette said quietly. "Not many of them, but you do have them."

Elaina smiled silently as the girl gave Han a soft kiss on the cheek and sat back into her rear chair. The former Jedi easily confiscated the empty copilot seat since Chewie was in another compartment. She thought she felt a tickle in the back of her mind, like they were being followed, but instantly dismissed it.

"So, uh," Han began as they sped off, "Lana, this is probably a ridiculous thought even…but, while I can sort of claim Leia away from Lando, I won't be able to use that security for two women. Now…"

"Han," Elaina cut in with a chuckle while Leia seemed unable to decide whether to be thankful or annoyed, "I really do appreciate your protectiveness over Leia; however, I have gone over twenty years without falling for a single man. I don't think one cheating pirate I've never met before is going to lower my defenses in a day or two. Thanks for the concern, though."

Little did she know, Kelly's advice for her to 'find a man' had kicked in long ago. It just hadn't had the chance to surface.

Thanks for reading and please review and vote!


	21. Living Again

Thanks I love dance, DragonRider2000, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews! All of you are just amazing! :)

Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" goes with scene 5 and Sarah Brightman's "Deliver Me" is for scene 7…

Living Again

"No!" the desperate man cried, impressively standing up in defiance to the dark lord. "No, I won't do it! However…tempting your…offer is, I won't betray one of my oldest friends." Vader simply stared. "You don't understand! I won't do that! I can't!" Silence reigned as the two leaders faced off.

Boba Fett stood by, satisfied that his target, Captain Solo, was quickly approaching the trap being set for him. All he cared about was Solo. Vader was welcome to the rest: Leia Organa and some Elaina Jinn, whoever that was. He knew of an Elaina Kalonya (nearly a dozen clients over the years had requested her as a bounty, live or dead); however, the name Jinn was beyond him!

Vader finally spoke.

"Would you rather have your little outpost be claimed by the Empire, Calrissian?"

With a scornful sneer, the Baron-Administrator obviously realized his position.

"Fine," he admitted sharply. "Just leave my people out of it!"

"As you wish…"

--

Kelly sat some feet away, dispassionately watching Luke's aerobics. The girl had long discarded her own physical workout. She must have been even more bored than realized, for as Yoda softly approached her, she nearly jumped out of her skin, breaking from the blank daze before nonchalantly clearing her throat.

"Yes, Master?" the brunette queried sweetly as the Jedi quietly chuckled at the ruse.

"Still bored so easily, are you?" he mused, easing onto the log beside her.

"Bored? Me? What makes you think that? I can be even more patient than my sister even since she started interacting more with scientists and Empire-experienced halfwits."

"More training have I for you."

"Thanks. What is it?"

"You are now strong enough to learn what you once could not, I believe."

"All right, enough with the suspense! What is it?"

"Long distance viewing and communication. Told me have you of your greater ease in seeing visions. Ready you are."

"Master, I don't know what to say!"

"Teach you, I will. Time not with me, will you need; rather, time with yourself and the Force."

The next few minutes were spent listening to the creature's wise words, after which Kelly went off to meditate, as was part of the process, an act she had once loathed. Yoda meanwhile proceeded to train Luke in simply focusing, seeing the future, being one with the Force, and all that jazz. The woman could faintly sense through her restive state the objects the boy lifted in his exercise.

"Concentrate," the trainer crooned. "Feel the Force flow. Yes…good. Calm, yes." Though the directions weren't even somewhat directed at her, Kelly couldn't help but be comforted by the gentle guidance. Now, she knew exactly why Elaina had been so proud to have Yoda as her Master (other than his fame). He knew precisely where to hit. She could feel her consciousness fading away from the place.

"Han! Leia!" The distressed calls were like beacons in the night. Kelly instantly snapped out of her respite, nearly jumping to Luke's side when he dropped to the ground, along with everything he had lifted with the Force.

"Control, control…you must learn control!" Yoda cried forcibly, but the girl was far more interested in his probable vision.

"I saw…I saw a city in the clouds," he wondered.

"Mm, friends you have there," the teacher stated knowingly.

"They were in pain!"

"It is the future you see."

"Future? Will they die?!"

Kelly sat back on her haunches, realizing the reason the Yoda's lack of emotion in the matter: they both knew from experience that toying with a possible future nearly always made things worse. Their friends would be better off if they didn't go charging blindly into the fray. Besides, Luke's training was the most important thing in the downfall of the Empire. Little did she know, Ben was invisibly standing by, silently approving her thoughts.

"Difficult to see…always in motion is the future," her old friend had replied.

"I've got to go to them."

"Decide you must how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you could. But, you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."

Luke was standing as if to go and Kelly promptly countered him, taking advantage of all the superior experience and knowledge she possessed.

"Luke, you can't go!" she firmly said. "If you rush like this, you'll almost certainly hurt them rather than help!"

"Kelly," he argued heatedly and quickly, "I didn't just see Han and Leia in that vision. I saw Elaina…and Qui-Gon, too! Elaina looked as if she was about to die!"

"And Qui-Gon?" she asked with only the silence a mother could produce.

"I don't know…he seemed…angry…hurt…"

"Luke, please…I don't like this any more than you do, but at least wait a while. For their sakes, as well as yours."

He hesitated, weighing the odds of her being right.

"One day, then we leave."

--

"I thought you knew this person," Leia doubtfully commented after the escorts had fired upon the ship in a warning to stay on course.

Chewie growled some pointed comment.

"Well, that was a long time ago," the pirate excused. "I'm sure he's forgotten about that."

"About what?" Elaina growled. She seemed to be having even more doubts growing about this Lando person than her mistress.

"Oh, nothing…just a little scuffle we got into a few years back…"

"Mm, who won?"

"Me, of course!"

"What a joy he'll be, if he's anything like you," she snarled under her breath.

The bodyguard scowled at his back in dissatisfaction. Ever since Han had teased her about wanting to know more about his 'old buddy', she had been in a relatively foul mood, only deviating when Chewie or 3PO spoke to her. Evidently, Leia was also not quite in her favor, probably due to the new-found bond between the princess and the rotten man she had turned out to love.

"Permission granted to land on platform 327," the flying escort unexpectedly announced.

"Thank you!" Han rejoiced prior reassuring them (or himself, rather). "There's nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me."

"Who's worried?" Leia muttered, exchanging a more congenial glance with the other woman. Neither of them, however, could help but gape at the golden clouds surrounding them. This planet actually seemed to possess a bit of its own charm.

--

Relin frowned at the blueprints in front of him. Yes, it was ready to be materialized. But what if the machine really worked? Everything they knew about science, about everything, could change in a split second! He didn't know whether to be proud or ashamed to have been part of it.

"Relin, what are you doing?" the blond questioned coarsely, entering the room. "Staring at it won't build it and we can't do that until we're safely back with the fleet. Until then, we have to hide it. Han's got to have a couple of secret compartments other than his cargo hold. We can hide it there."

She really had no idea why he had stuck with the project all this time! It amazed him.

"Aylana, I thought this place we're going to was safe."

"Nowhere is safe, Relin. We have to hide it. It's too important."

While she may have been clueless to his feelings towards her, he could never have fathomed that she was having doubts about ever using the life-changing invention after seeing Leia so happy, so in love.

"All right, I'll hide it and stay with the ship. No one will find it."

"Really?" For once, she seemed delighted. "Oh, Relin, you really don't have to, but…oh, you're such a sweet man!" He just sat there dumbly for a moment when she kissed him on the cheek before trotting out.

--

Elaina thought nothing of the sign of apparent affection she had just shown her coworker. To her, he was the scientist who had helped realize her dream in the form of S.Q.E.A.K. (and, yes, a rather nice, if annoying, man), but not much more than that. Her thoughts, in fact, were on this mysterious Lando Calrissian. She just knew she had had a vision or two of him at some point…but she couldn't place them…consequently making her wish she had paid more attention.

When the woman came smoothly strolling to the ramp, it was apparent to her that Lando didn't have much in stock for hospitality as her companions were, at the moment, simply standing doubtfully at the bottom of the ramp. Something was fishy about this situation. She knew she could do anything she wanted with the Force within just a split second time, and that unlimited feeling seemed to only be around when…no. The Empire wasn't here!

The bodyguard would later regret not second-guessing herself, but at that moment, the building door opened to allow a group of about a dozen people out onto the landing. Elaina merely remained near the ship's entrance upon seeing the guards, warily ready to snap her charge back into the ship and take off if anything bad happened, not that they would get far. Suddenly, the feeling of insecurity was accompanied by a longing for her twin. The trigger-happy Jedi would easily see whatever the older sister overlooked.

From her viewpoint, she could see the probable leader (she wasn't quite close enough to gain a specific profile, especially since Han's body was blocking her view of him) move as if to hit the captain before enveloping him in an abrupt hug, loudly laughing, and all previous tension seemed to disappear. As the two old friends noisily, if briefly, discussed the ship's dilemma, Elaina approached, her presence completely being ignored for the moment.

"Your ship?" Han's query was the first completely audible thing she heard following the princess' voiced doubts. "Hey, remember you lost her to me fair and square."

"How ya doin', Chewbacca?" the charming man asked, earning a friendly whine from the Wookie. "You still hanging around this loser?" Suddenly, his eye caught Leia as she cautiously stationed herself beside Chewie. "Hello, what have we here?" He instantly approached the girl and took her hand warmly, clearly experienced with flirtation. "I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the Administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

"Leia," she casually replied as he kissed her hand.

"Welcome, Leia."

"All right, all right!" Han broke in stealing a visibly grateful Leia from the obvious scoundrel. "…you ol' smoothie." The couple backed off, waiting for their host, who was gaping at the princess, as 3PO tried introducing himself. It could have been quite an awkward situation; however, Elaina simply cleared her throat in demand of her charge's release from the stare.

"I'd appreciate it if you refrained from further pursuing Leia," she pointedly noted, raising her eyebrows with folded arms. The man swiveled around and smiled approvingly, at least taking his gaze from the other direction. The guards had long been dismissed. She hadn't realized his breath-taking handsomeness until that moment. He had a dark complexion, dark eyes, black hair, and a dazzling smile. While Kelly would have nearly been able to stand eye-to-eye with him, the top of Elaina's head just passed his shoulder. She quickly cut off any further idle observance.

"And who may you be? Her bodyguard?"

"No, her gardener," the blond sarcastically replied, though her mouth quirked into a slight smile when he raised her hand to his lips. "My name is Elaina." Han's eyes bulged at the name foreign to his ears alone.

"Lando…" His eyes sparkled even more than with Leia and she couldn't help but let her smile grow a bit. What was it about him that got to her? Sure, he was handsome, but that didn't usually send her eyes sparkling as they had with only one man in the past. She didn't know why she allowed it, but Lando easily slipped her arm into his prior to leading the way to the building. "Perhaps you could join me for a drink later. I'd be delighted to give a personal tour of the city."

"Perhaps…" Why had she said that?! Was she insane? But something stopped her from wrenching her arm away from him. Something had happened in those visions which caused her to remain in his tow.

The man kept talking to Han as if she wasn't there, except for his free hand topping her claimed one.

"What's wrong with the _Falcon_?"

"Hyperdrive," the pirate stated.

"I'll get my people to work on it."

"Good."

"You know," he bragged to Leia, "that ship saved my life quite a few times. She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy." This time, he gazed at Elaina. "So, are you really Leia's gardener, or were you just pulling my leg back there?"

"I'm her bodyguard," the woman replied, trying not to look at his eyes.

"You have the look of it." She flushed. What was that supposed to mean? He seemed to read her thoughts. "You're strong." Did he not see her size? Casually, he went on. "I have accommodations free for you to stay in while the ship is repaired. Some of the best in the city!"

"A steam shower?" she couldn't help asking.

"Actually, now that I think of it, the one I was thinking of putting you in does have a steam shower."

"And a balcony?" The room he was describing seemed to be from a vision.

"Well…yes."

She grinned at his confusion. Han instantly entered the conversation.

"How's the gas mine? Is it paying off for you?"

--

Viciously hitting a button to confirm the last count of medical supplies, Jay began rubbing her temples in an effort to calm herself. Right after arriving at the fleet, she had gone to the command center and demanded that they do something about Qui-Gon. Worried about their own problems with supplies and ammunition, the commanders had instantly ordered her to 'tend to' the medical center. Since the main infirmary had been filled with ice, the only medical implements there were from storage and the auxiliary.

"Jay?" Larian queried, suddenly coming upon the doctor and leaning against the table, purposefully blocking the computer screen with her body. "Jay, you've been at it for two hours solid already. Everything's stocked, counted, cleaned, and ready for instant use. I even prepped a table for surgery. Jay, you need your rest! A bath might do you some good, too."

The surgeon looked up exhaustedly, suddenly becoming conscious that she was still wearing the same clothes from her quarantine in the closet freezer.

"I know, Ri, but I just can't stop thinking…"

"…of Commander Qui-Gon?" the other girl finished, smiling knowingly. "I heard all about it from the other nurses when I got back from tending to a splinter. Jay, you can't beat yourself up about it! It's not as if you can go and find Commander Kelly." She coyly looked away.

"You know where they are!" the older girl exclaimed, standing quickly.

"Of course! Officers can be quite gullible when they're having a tiny splinter removed from their finger."

"Ri, that means there's a chance after all!" The despair instantly lifted.

"Exactly!"

"Well, where are they? I can snatch a fighter easily!"

"On one condition…"

"What?"

"If Commander Skywalker's injured, I get to tend to him personally."

"Ri, you're a sly one! That won't be a problem, though."

Her sister grinned ear-to-ear.

"They're in the Dagobah system."

Jay instantly hugged her sibling and ran out. Larian was so much like her. She knew exactly what to say if someone needed help. Distinctively, however, she had more men on her trail than she could count, though Luke Skywalker seemed to be the only one she had eyes for. Larian's popularity, of course, didn't bother Jay a bit. She had Qui-Gon.

--

Elaina emerged from the refresher room in the fresh clothes she had been given, scrubbing her hair into place. With a wicked grin, she looked around as if anyone would be watching and dove onto the plush, cushioned bed with a sigh. Absentmindedly, she played with the hem of her simple dark green, relatively low-cut, sleeveless dress, making sure that the low cut was not overly so, while looking to the giant window at the growing darkness.

What was it really that made Lando so enchanting? It puzzled her, but the confusion did not take on the aggravation of a normal problem. It was almost enjoyable.

The com next to the door buzzed. Someone was at the door. With a roll of the eyes at being interrupted from a moment's peace, the bodyguard rose, straightened her ankle-length garb, yanked the black knee-high slippers on, and went to the door, subconsciously wishing the outfit had space for her weapon. She felt naked without it.

"Administrator!" she addressed the man standing at the doorway, using his formal title.

"Please, Miss, it's Lando, if you don't mind."

"Then, you may call me Elaina, if you don't mind," she demurely responded.

"I hope the accommodations have proved suitable?"

"They're lovely. The first thing I did was look out on the balcony. You have a wonderful city, Lando. It reminds me of Coruscant, when I lived there."

"You lived on Coruscant?"

"For a time, but I traveled quite a lot." What did he find so interesting about her?

The gentleman offered his arm to her. She could do nothing but accept and walk with him down the white halls.

"I assume you already had dinner?"

"Yes, one of the…attendants brought me a most delightful tray, thank you."

"So, a drink then before the tour. The halls are not nearly as crowded at night. It's the best time to venture around the city."

They were silent as they entered the small café. The place had themes of blue, green, and silver with polished black tables and counters and candles everywhere as the only source of light. Graciously, the server placed the newcomers at a small table in the corner with two cushioned stools. Lando raised an eyebrow to her choice of Mandalorian wine. Elaina told him of her mission to the planet years before, which led to many other conversations. She didn't remember ever having been so free with her tongue, especially with someone she had just met, though something was different with this man. She felt as if she could trust him.

An hour passed and they were both laughing at their jointly mistake in trusting two of the same sources at different times. He knew of her queer aging, yet it didn't bother him a bit. She had told him of her capture three years in the past, but all he gave was understanding and compassion. He was just too good to be true! Was he the one who would save her from destruction?

"You are not as complicated as you seem to judge yourself," he finally said, sobering Elaina's giggles. "You're a warrior and always have been. Warriors are simple folk. They fight until they're dead and don't give up even after that, sometimes."

With that line, the girl narrowed her eyes and leaned on the table with a mischievous smirk.

"I wouldn't know. The warrior in me goes to the background any more, ever since Leia's mother died. When that happened, the mother in me came out. Now that she's in love, I don't know what I'll do with myself." The man followed her example in leaning against the table.

"Perhaps I could help you with that. When Leia is no longer in need of your services, I'd be more than happy to have you as my guest."

"I'm flattered," she murmured, looking down.

"Good, I was momentarily worried that I had finally found someone immune to my flattery."

"Have you flattered many women?"

"Oh, I've lost count." Her eyes narrowed again; however, she kept the smile to hide her critical thinking.

"Is that so?"

"None of them held any more of my heart than a passing affection." She doubtfully cocked her head. "Honestly! I have never even come close to falling in love…until now." Elaina's head popped up.

"What do you mean?" His eyes intensely bore into hers. "No. No one can fall in love in a few hours, Lando. It's impossible." She moved to go, but he gently grabbed her wrist. The restraining move sent a chill up her spine that she hated. "What are you doing?" A strange fear went through his eyes.

"Elaina, you must know that…I have to tell you…it's not…"

At that moment, the woman realized a fragment from those visions. She and Lando fell in love!

"I'm sorry. The last relationship I dove into, I broke my own heart. I…I'm afraid of doing that again."

"I think I can help you that, as well." He leaned forward a bit more.

--

Kelly was completely immersed in the Force in her meditative state. She could feel the billions of life-forms around her in the galaxy. Now, all she had to do was find a specific one to contact. There were only two people she wanted to talk to the most at the moment: Qui-Gon and Elaina.

Qui-Gon wouldn't understand the buzzing voice in his head, while Elaina would probably congratulate her on the achievement! With a smile, she sought out her twin. She felt the blonde's blissful confusion…the perfect time to say 'hello'.

_Elaina!!!! _she called. _Elaaaaainaaa. Elaina!_

--

Their faces were but an inch apart and getting closer.

"Lando, I…"

_Elaina!!!! Elaaaaainaaa. Elaina!_

"I can't! Not now!" the girl hissed under her breath, turning away from Lando in the process.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" He instantly got up and left, leaving the angry woman to glower at the candle centerpiece.

_Kelly, _she thought with a snap,_ do you know what I was just about to do?_

She could feel her distant sister reading her thoughts.

_Oops. Sorry, _the younger twin mumbled.

So, as you may have noticed, I threw off the timeline a bit, temporarily. I always found it odd that Luke came rushing to the rescue so quickly, and yet Leia and Han seemed to have plenty of time to settle in to the hospitality. Thanks for reading and please review!


	22. Getting Wet

Thanks DragonRider2000, I love dance, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Lara Fabian's "I've Cried Enough" goes with scene 4 and Tracy Chapman's "The Promise" is for scene 5…

Getting Wet

"Vader, we need to talk!" Lando demanded, storming into the room his conqueror was preparing for the soon-to-be prisoners' torture. He grimaced at the peculiar electrical rack before turning to the Sith, who was standing, back turned to the Administrator, over the curled-up body of the same young man he had been torturing on-and-off since their arrival. Whoever the boy was, his strength shocked him.

Calrissian had hardly obtained any sleep whatsoever, instead wandering the halls of his city. When the black vulture had blackmailed him into doing this treachery, he hadn't expected to end up having…whatever had happened…happen. He couldn't betray Elaina! When he had made this deal, he hadn't expected one of the victims to be the woman of his dreams! Ever since the time he had seen her in the room, the dim light playing around her silhouette, his conscience had dug into him like a knife, screaming for him to tell her the truth…warn her of what was coming.

"What is it, Calrissian?" the living death questioned, turning towards him.

Only for a moment was he intimidated.

"I can't do it! I can't let you do it!"

"And why, may I ask, has your decision changed since last night?"

"Because you threatened my people!" Vader wasn't convinced. "And because I didn't realize that I would be betraying more than one person who meant so much to me." If he wasn't wearing a mask, the enemy would have been raising an eyebrow. "What I'd do would be like plucking and burning one of the last flowers of its kind. I can't let you hurt Elaina."

"Elaina?" the man on the floor weakly asked, looking up for the first time, his forehead creased with pain.

"Silence!" Vader ordered: something that was instantly obeyed. "Calrissian…it seems that you have forgotten the danger you will be putting this facility in if you do not honor our agreement. The Emperor does not take too kindly to those who have resisted his dominion. The best scenario I see in that case is that your people are relocated to a…less-than-hospitable world." Again, he was beaten. "Your apparent feelings for Elaina Jinn are admirable, Administrator; however, it appears that you have no choice but to fulfill your part.

"Elaina will be far better off with me. As innocent as she may seem, that woman is an Enduring Warrior destined to kneel before her true Master, the Emperor himself. If you hinder me in any way again, the Emperor will be greatly displeased. Now, leave my sight."

Instantly, the man obeyed and left, though he headed straight for Elaina's quarters. Enduring Warrior (whatever that was) or not, he still couldn't let this happen to her. Lando still hadn't figured out exactly what his feelings were (well, he had actually, but things like that didn't happen overnight…literally), but he knew that they wouldn't allow him to easily give up.

He pressed the door panel. A moment later, Elaina answered the door, looking as if she had just gotten out of bed.

"Elaina, there's something I have to tell you!" he said quickly. While confused at first, the woman quickly took on a somewhat authoritative air, pushing him in towards the small in-room bar and ignoring his protests. "Elaina, really, please, I need to…"

"Sit down before you fall down," she simply demanded, shoving him into the chair and beginning to make some sort of hot drink. He tried to speak again, but the girl just pointed a quieting finger at him. He hadn't realized how tired he was until then. "I find that stim tea is wonderful for both relaxing and waking up. You seem to need both." The bodyguard sat down opposite him to wait for the primitively heated water. "There were times when I drank up to a dozen cups of this stuff a day. Now, I'm lucky if I get it once a year! Lando…whatever's on your mind, it can wait until you've had a cup."

He internally growled. Why couldn't he just say it?

--

A stormtrooper entered.

"What, now?!" Vader loudly asked.

"My lord, there is a bounty hunter here who calls himself Aaron Locksley. He claims to be here for a Kelly Kalonya?"

The Sith laughed.

"Allow him in." A tall, tan, muscular man with graying black hair, green eyes, and rugged clothing entered the room. "Locksley…I hear that you're after Kelly Kenobi." The man cocked his head. "…she married. Well then, I should inform you that she is not here."

"She may not be here, now," the bounty hunter stated smoothly, "but according to my sources, you have a few people who are rather important to her. Aside from the bounty from a few different clients, I haven't seen her for decades. I'd be quite disappointed if I missed the chance to catch the woman who ruined my reputation."

Vader nodded his head. Why hadn't he thought of the trap not only drawing Luke, but Kelly as well. This day was just getting better by the moment.

--

Jay looked down at her scope, then the coordinates. Was this really the right place? For several minutes, she had just been hovering over the fog-covered planet. What a dreary place! If she hadn't been as desperate, the woman would have turned right around and gone back to her warm, comfortable ship infirmary: the closest place to home.

"Here goes nothing!" she muttered, plunging down towards the planet and letting instinct guide her. She may have had no ability with using the Force, but that didn't mean it couldn't give her a hand, right? The mist was everywhere. She couldn't see a thing! "Zed, can you help me out?"

The droid outside beeped a regretful 'no'. It keenly surprised Jay that her snatched droid, D0-Q3 (quickly nicknamed Zed for no real reason), had actually gained her trust and fondness over the short voyage. He had a shocking sense of humor and more practical suggestions than she could keep up with.

The doctor initiated the landing sequence when branches started smacking her windshield…

She nearly got whiplash when the craft went crashing into water and instantly started sinking for some reason. The automatic ejector wasn't working.

"Technology!" she swore.

Several seconds went by. Was this how it ended? Her drowning in a bloody swamp on some blasted forsaken planet? No! She frantically began beating at the window (to no avail) until her ship suddenly began rising from the water. It floated through the air, though she couldn't tell how due to the foggy glass. Magically, the lid came off.

Jay looked around, bewildered. Her eyes fell upon a welcome sight.

"Welcome to Yoda's Lavish Vacation Resort in this wonderful…swamp! What in the blazes are you doing here, Jay?!" Kelly exclaimed, helping the surgeon down from her grounded transport.

--

Her stall for time seemed to be working. All Lando did while waiting for her to finish the tea was twiddle his thumbs and nervously stare at the far corner of the room. Instantly, she had seen the desperation in his eyes in the doorway. It only confirmed the tension that permeated this entire facility. Making the tea in such an outdated fashion was not only to allow Lando some cooling time and her a moment to reflect on the situation, however. When the Administrator had come buzzing at the door, Elaina had been heatedly debating with Obi-Wan, who was presently standing scornfully in the refresher room doorway.

"Lando…" The man's head shot up, eyes wide. "I'll be back in a moment. I need to…get my robe." An excellent excuse, especially since she was still in her light night attire… "Eh, keep an eye on the tea?" With that, the girl sped into the refresher room and closed the door with all possibly casual haste. Obi-Wan just stared, arms crossed. "All right, let's finish this here and now."

"That is the man you're drooling over?" How did he know about things like that? Right, he was dead!

"Obi-Wan, when I say 'let's finish this', I mean our little discussion, not my personal affairs, of which you are definitely not a part. If you want to speak about relationships, talk to your wife." The ghost scowled. Towards Elaina at least, he had gained quite a bad temper.

"I was the one you chased after for more than a decade, remember?"

"Now, that, Ben Kenobi," she hissed, barely managing to keep her voice down, "is not where you want to go with me. You rejected me, I'm finally getting over it after all this time, and that gives you even less of a right than Vader to tell me what to do!" He seemed ever so slightly taken aback by the comparison. "Obi-Wan, we're on the same side. We always have been. Nothing has changed, except that I might actually be moving on. You are not going make even one more tear fall from my eyes."

"Elaina, don't be so childish. I wouldn't bother with trying to handle your own affairs unless they were impairing the greater scheme of things, as they are now. Your desire for closure and lust for this Lando character is weighing incredibly on the need for focus and clarity in this tight situation."

"I do not bother with lust. I have never bothered with lust. And I will never bother with lust. Is that clear enough for you? My attraction to Lando has not affected my focus, Obi-Wan. I sensed the Sith's presence the moment we arrived here."

He did a double take.

"What?"

"It took me a while to accept that fact, but yes, I know that they're here, if that's one of the points you've been trying and failing to get across. There's no reason to alert Han and Leia. It's too late for that. They need at least a day of feeling safe before chaos erupts."

"Do you know why the trap is being set?"

"Of course: to trap Kelly and Luke. What don't you tell Kelly that?"

"She already knows. I was just hoping that you would be able to thwart the attack before she arrived."

Her eyes widened in realization.

"That's why you did this. That's why you were antagonizing me and prodding me for action. You're afraid for her."

Suddenly, the quarters entrance buzzed.

"Elaina?" Leia queried over the connecting com link. "I wanted to talk to you, if you have a minute."

"Oh, bantha fodder!" the general swore, grabbing her excuse robe and racing out to encounter a stunned guest. Lando was still sitting in his chair, staring at the still-closed door, and looking as if he didn't know what to do. What humiliation faced him if the princess caught him in her bodyguard's sleeping quarters in the still-early hours of the morning?

Elaina rolled her eyes and grabbed the man's wrist, dragging him into the refresher room and closing him into the shower. Even if Leia randomly decided to enter the room, the door of the shower was completely opaque. With a second to compose herself, she smoothly strolled to allow her charge.

"Elaina, are you all right? What took you so long? Is someone in here with you?"

"Easy, Princess," the woman replied, seating her friend in the same chair Lando had occupied. "Tea?" She then waited for a nod before pouring the treasured liquid. "Now, what has you so high-strung this morning?" Leia seemed to relax a great deal in the familiar atmosphere of teacher/counselor and student sitting with cups of stim tea as they often had during the girl's childhood.

"I don't really know. I just needed to talk to you, that's all. I have…a bad feeling about this place. The people here are almost too nice, too ready to please. I've just felt edgy. On my way here, I thought I even saw a stormtrooper in the hall. Of course, when I followed it and turned the corner, all I found was one of the servers." Elaina deeply pondered that thought. It was her duty to protect Leia from harm, but she had a gut feeling that trying to escape whatever fate was bringing would simply do more harm than good. At this point, Vader probably had the whole place surrounded and booby trapped. "I'm sorry; were you about to take a shower?"

Cornered. Robe, disheveled hair. It all matched up to the brunette's assumption. Plus, Elaina always showered in the morning when she could.

During the next few minutes, it almost seemed as if Leia knew that the shower was the last place the blond wanted to go. It probably had something to do with the nonstop talking.

"Well, go on," Leia had ordered when she had simply stood in the middle of the floor. No doubt, the superior was observant enough to disallow her going into the shower fully clothed and she almost simply revealed Lando's presence. "Let me turn the water on for you." The water just had to be initiated from the outside, didn't it?

Cheeks bright red, she stepped in to find Lando just standing (back faced towards her) under the water, scratching his head, as if trying to figure out how he had gotten into that situation.

"So, what do you think of Lando?" the princess asked, still standing in the room. In that same instant, the named man turned around, saw her blush and bare shoulders, grabbed a wash rag, and stuck onto his face in utter embarrassment. While he may have seen nothing but shoulder, the thought still apparently stuck in his mind. "El?" 'El' was trying not to laugh from the awkwardness of the entire scenario.

"Lando? He's, um…nice."

"The way you were eyeing him, I would have thought you're opinion would hold more than just 'nice'."

"Ha! Uh, Leia, we'll talk about this later. Why don't you go find your man?"

"Just…take a chance for once. Do the right thing for yourself. Believe me; you'll feel so good for doing it."

She could just picture the eye-roll as the princess finally left; however, what made the girl burst out laughing was the enthusiasm with which Lando leapt out of the shower.

"No, Obi-Wan," she muttered, "you won't make me cry ever again…and leave S.Q.E.A.K. out of it."

In ten minutes, she had finished the cleaning, dried, and wrapped herself in the soft, white robe. When Elaina emerged, he was still there, sitting at the foot of her bed, still dripping wet. With a chuckle, she grabbed a towel, handed it over, and stepped back, continuously attempting and failing to hold back her giggles.

"What?"

"That was a close one!"

He nervously laughed with her as she sat down beside him, drying his hair with another towel.

--

Kelly had long given up trying to help Luke in readying the ship. She still couldn't believe that this woman had come all the way to Dagobah just to announce that the 'love of her life' had been captured…along with the 'side issue' of them apparently being in love. She should have seen this coming! Or maybe she did and chose to overlook the issue in hopes of it being just a passing fancy. Sure, the doctor was talented, admittedly pretty, and relatively experienced, but it just didn't seem right!

"Our boy has grown up," her husband stated with a sigh, partially of contentment and partially with worry. "Finally realized that?"

"Where were you?" the girl questioned. "I called with both my mind and with words, but you weren't there."

"I was busy. Elaina seemed to be veering in the wrong direction and needed a nudge."

She laughed.

"She may need a nudge, but I would bet that she didn't move an inch."

"Indeed. But, what was strange was that she already knew of the danger. She seemed…different somehow."

"Is she all right? Have the visions come true, yet, or can she deter them long enough for help to arrive?"

"For now, they are fine."

"And Qui-Gon?"

"I don't know how, but Vader is somehow blocking my ability to actually see him."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before I even left the base?! And why do you have to be so secretive about everything going on?"

"Darling, even in this state, I must respect certain limitations. One word too much could ruin the balance of the entire universe."

"What do you know that you can tell me?"

"They will all be in pain before long; that is certain. Everything practically quivers with the weight they must bear. I dread what will happen to Qui-Gon. Something terrible is happening, concerning him."

"Yeah, her name is Jaylyn Erassa."

"You do not like her? Why?"

"I don't know…everything! She's several years older than him…it eerily reminds me of Anakin and Padme. Just a few years before coming to the Rebellion, she was favored by the Emperor himself! Besides, they're too young in too much chaos to make such huge decisions like that…in love, pah!"

"Kelly, we were their age and younger when we realized our feelings for each other. Admittedly, we didn't let it show until a decade later, but nevertheless our love was genuine. Qui-Gon is wise. Between them, they have the exact mix of countering traits as we did. They are quite compatible."

Kelly just grumbled. He disappeared for the time being as Jay approached.

"Commander…" she began uncomfortably, glancing at the distant Yoda. From the moment of her landing, the surgeon hadn't known whether to be concerned over the jealous mother or the ancient Jedi Master. "Is this a dream where I just happen to be stuck on a mudhole with that…creep, or is that really a nine-hundred-year-old Jedi Master from the old days?"

"Master Yoda was probably the most distinguished, loved, and powerful of all the Jedi during his time."

"Well," she breathed, sucking in the air, "I think he's lost a few."

"I few what?" the brunette queried, confused. Jay tapped her head for emphasis on brains.

"Humph!" was suddenly heard from behind them. Both women whirled around to face the unexpectedly close, droopy-eared, and squint-eyed creature. "Revealed your opinion is."

Without another word, he wheeled back, hobbling over to Luke once more. The doctor and commander suddenly had a point of reference for each other. With shifty eyes, they started giggling.

"Oops," they chorused.

Kelly nearly howled with laughter as the engine of her companion's soaked craft suddenly shot water straight into the back of its pilot's head. Still sniggering to herself, the widow approached Yoda, who was angrily shaking his head while watching Luke pack the ship.

"All you all right, Master?" she queried, though knowing his disapproval of the padawan's hasty decision. He couldn't say she hadn't done all possible in delaying.

"Impatient and reckless is he," he stated, glancing at the boy some short ways off. "Too much like his father…"

"…and me?" Kelly finished. It reminded her all too well of her brother-in-law Owen's opinion of her…but Yoda saw her hesitation.

"No. Not your fault the council's short-sightedness, it was. Strong you were."

"Only because Elaina and Ben were there to save me. I would have been lost without them. If Ben hadn't come when if he did…" She shivered. "…I would have killed my own sister."

"Know not do we of what could have been. Only with the present must we concern ourselves."

"Well, I can look forward to the future. I almost look forward to dying and hope that my time is soon. The only thing that gets me through each day is the thought that my husband is waiting for me on the other side and no one will ever be able to part us again…ever…not the Jedi or the Sith."

"Unfortunate for that to have occurred."

"Master…what about these visions I keep having…what should I do?"

"As we have all learned, an attempt to change things, worsen a situation it will." With a reminiscent sigh, he hobbled closer to the frantic young man. Kelly stayed back, respecting the singular bond of Master and padawan which needed to be recognized. "Luke! You must complete the training."

"I can't keep the vision out of my head. They're my friends. I've got to help them. Kelly, I still don't know why you aren't backing me up on this one!"

"You must not go!"

"But they'll all die if I don't."

"You don't know that," Ben pointed out, suddenly appearing right beside Kelly, who had come slightly closer to the Master. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate."

"But I can help them! I feel the Force!"

"But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force."

Kelly remained quiet, only crossing her arms in agreement. She had already tried this tactic. She had even tried giving a difficultly explained narrative of the facts of her own fall…along with Vader's in a rather clipped version.

"Yes, yes," Yoda eagerly inputted, bobbing his head. "To Obi-Wan you will listen. The cave…remember your failure at the cave!" At first, the woman was puzzled, but then realized: Yoda had been watching Luke; therefore, he knew entirely of the events on the ice planet.

"But," Luke protested, coming out from under the shuttle, "I've learned so much since then. Master Yoda, I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word."

Ben earnestly interjected.

"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants; that is why your friends are made to suffer."

"And that is why I have to go."

"Luke, I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader."

"You won't."

"Are you willing to sacrifice Kelly as well?" There was hesitance, but no loss of resolve.

Thanks for reading! Please review and vote!

The shower scene was based on the one from Dan in Real Life…hilarious movie!


	23. Penance

Thanks DragonRider2000 and I love dance so much for your reviews!

Sorry for the delay in updating! I've had this written out since last weekend, but life has been so busy that I haven't able to post it!!! Well, enjoy! :)

Imogen Heap's "The Walk" goes with scene 3 (but, if it runs into the next scene, that's fine), "Apologize" is for scenes 7- 8…

Penance

Standing at the peak of one of the many small hills which surrounded his little home, Qui-Gon breathed the cool, grass-scented evening breeze common to the planet on which he had settled. The laughing voices of Cass and Little Obi echoed softly behind and below him in the lush, green field that splayed out before the cheery, wooden cabin, from where scents of some deliciously concocted meal emanated.

Ever since the end of the war and the Emperor's defeat, he and his wife had taken easily to a life of relative calm. Qui-Gon himself taught in the local Jedi academy only a short speeder trip away. His other half had instantly been made the chief surgeon of the small world's main medical center (one of the most prestigious in the galaxy) upon their settlement, though her new passion seemed to be cooking. Cassiopeia and Obi-Wan Jr., ages eight and six, respectively, were both top students in their classes and both possessed potential with the Force, Cass being the asker of questions and Obi the prankster.

"Thinking about something?" Jay queried, suddenly standing beside him and looping her arm through her husband's.

"Why does this all seem like a dream, Jay?" he asked quietly, taking in the surroundings with a suddenly skeptical glance. The beautiful woman laughed musically.

"Probably because it's so perfect! 'Jedi Master' Luke is finishing off the last of the Imperial resistance and the Jedi are back to being the peacekeepers of the galaxy. Han and Leia have been in the Outer Rim chasing down a few rebel leaders…which brings to mind that they're supposed to stay with us soon for a few weeks. They're bringing Jacen and Jaina with them (oh, I wonder how much they've grown…Jaina probably looks just like her mother by now…). Elaina and Kelly are off having their own adventures." She chuckled again at the rant her listing of the galaxy's improvements had caused.

"Ten years ago, I wouldn't have even dreamed of something like this happening."

"_Don't be so sure,"_ an eerily familiar voice suddenly opinionated.

As if on command, the sky turned blood red, the grass disappeared, and the smells of quiet perfection turned to those of suffering and war. Qui-Gon cried out in dismay as, in the same instant, Jay fell into his arms, dead. Blood was everywhere. The laughing of his children had abruptly ended.

"Cass, Obi!" he called desperately, clinging to his wife in despair.

No answer came.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked hoarsely.

Suddenly, Qui-Gon found himself back in Cloud City, cowering before Darth Vader. He had truly almost believed that the vision was true.

"Submit," his captor demanded. "Give yourself to the dark side. You can already feel its power and the glory. Become a Sith, and I will see that Jay is spared. Obtain retribution for the lies spread by Elaina Jinn. Only through me can you learn to fully grasp your potential."

The power overwhelmed him. He was too weak to resist any longer.

"Yes…my Master."

--

Relin was standing in front of probably the only mirror on the ship, straightening his jacket. Having had basically nothing to do in his 'guarding' of Aylana's project, the scientist had possessed much time for thought and resolved to finally brave asking the question he had wanted to for nearly two years.

"Eat to bite?" he asked the reflection, but suddenly pausing. Something didn't seem right about that sentence. Whatever anyone thought, Zelishka was far from mastering this supposedly common language. All of his spoken words as such were carefully scrutinized before he actually said them. When he didn't, they came out in a torrent of his own dialect. In fact, he only knew about five words of this foreign tongue upon first joining the Alliance.

He glared hard at his copy. He needed to get it right if he was going to leave the ship, find Lana, and ask her to dinner. Focusing…

"Bite…to…eat." There! "Bite. To. Eat." He started going a bit faster. "Bite. To. Eat. Bite to eat. Bite to eat. Bitetoeat. Bitetoeatbitetoeatbitetoeat…" …something was dropped and a shot fired…it sounded uncannily like the gunshot of an Imperial stormtrooper.

Cautiously, the man crept towards the _Falcon_'s entrance and gaped at what he saw. Three stormtroopers were entering the craft, two of which were carrying a small, but awkward carton between them. Two servicemen were on the ground, one shot dead and the other kneeling nearby.

"Take him away," the lead soldier ordered, followed by the dead man being dragged away by his companion. "It's hard without you scum trying to hinder us at every turn. Let's go."

They started heading toward the cockpit area, but stopped when Zelishka accidentally knocked over a small canister on the floor. As they approached his hiding place, he grabbed the only possible weapon in sight: a long, thumb-thick metal rod. The first that came didn't even see what hit him as instantly fell to the ground. Stunned by his companion's fall, the second had no time to draw a weapon before his own blackout.

Relin jumped back to safety as the third aimed a shot and scurried out. Covertly, the fugitive snuck out of the ship, across the landing, and into the building. So much for an eat to bite…or…whatever…

--

Black, non-showy pants, a black sleeveless shirt, the back part of which showed perhaps a bit more shoulder than necessary, trim black boots, and a loose, light gray, long sweater: that summed up the basic compliment of Elaina's attire as she emerged from the refresher room once again. Lando, by that time, was completely dry, but still held a somewhat glum attitude.

"Casual okay?" she questioned, grinning crookedly. Lando, in asking her to breakfast, had simply answered her query as to the caliber of the place in mind with the simple phrase of 'whatever' she wanted. Though not a very satisfactory reply, she still took advantage of the relaxing selection.

"Perfectly fine," he stated almost grimly.

"Relax, Lando! If you don't start acting natural around me, I may just decide to decline your offer." His face seemed to brighten a bit at the proposition before once again descending to darkness. "Administrator, I demand that you put on a more demonstrative air for your employees. It's unbecoming to constantly go about looking so depressed." He reluctantly smiled.

As cheerful as the bodyguard may have sounded, however, she knew the reason for Lando's unhappiness. She also knew that he apparently had no choice. In addition, her weakness in falling for him and the consequent blindness initially to the danger only reminded her of the dangers love posed, especially one as rushed as this! Perhaps Obi-Wan was right. It wasn't meant to be. After they escaped, they would go their separate ways.

"You know what one of my favorite quotes is?" she pondered as they exited down the halls. "'Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back.'" He seemed almost disturbed by this. "Lando, as far as I know you, you seem to be a nice, caring man…" She had to break this off or it would get too far. "But, my responsibilities towards Leia come before anything else. I can't pursue a relationship while so much is going on."

"Elaina," he interrupted, "you just said last night that Leia will no longer be requiring your services. But that's aside from the point I've been trying to make." They stepped out of an elevator after going down two floors and stopped, the man grabbing her by the shoulders as if trying to make her see some sense. "You're in danger. All of you are. Vader arrived here just before you. I hate myself for not telling you instantly, but he threatened my people…"

Elaina held a hand up, silencing him.

"He threatened your people?" He nodded. She had forgotten that this man had more at stake than his own reputation. "How many people live here, Lando?"

"…five million four hundred twenty-seven thousand and eighty…approximately," he muttered with a leader's precision.

"Five million versus a few humans, a couple of droids, and a Wookie…"

"You, Han, and the others are not just 'a few humans, a couple of droids, and a Wookie' to me, Elaina! I have never met anyone like you. I can't just hand you over to Vader like this!"

"You've never met anyone like me or you never met anyone naked in the shower?"

His eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"What does that have to do anything?!"

"Lando, I cannot be anything more than part of a business contract to you. And you cannot be anything more than a gracious host and a passing fancy to me. I can't let Vader use you against me. He will do all in his power to turn me. As I already told you…" She demurely looked towards the door second to the end of the hall. "…he almost succeeded, last time. No, you can't love me and I can't love you. Love doesn't happen overnight." The girl wasn't sure whether she was reassuring him or herself. "This is where it ends. When I go through that door, our little… holiday…never happened."

He grabbed her again, shaking her slightly.

"But, it did happen. We met, we went to dinner, we almost kissed, I almost saw you naked." She again held her hand up in agitated protest, but he ignored it this time. "I can't put behind me the one woman I ever really fell in love with." She paused, stunned by the sudden confession. "Just give me the word, Elaina, and we'll turn around right now, get the others, and get you out of here. Vader can do whatever he wants to me."

"Five million…you did this for five million." From gazing at the gate of doom, the blond looked into his eyes, laughed, and reached for his hand. "I don't blame you. You're doing the right thing, Lando. Come on." She loved him and he loved her, but nothing could be done about it.

Detaching her hand from his, Elaina began walking towards the door, Lando a short ways behind her. With slight pause, she opened the door. Inside were a few mechanical gizmos, a strange rack of some sort, and Vader.

"Thank you, Calrissian," the Sith said. "I will meet you in dining room in a short time. Don't forget your guests."

"Yes, m'lord," the man growled, exiting stiffly. Elaina stared straight ahead, preparing herself.

"So, Elaina, we meet again. First of all, we shall discuss your previous resistance."

She smiled deceitfully, murmuring,

"Always a pleasure, Annie."

_Pain, suffering, death._

--

"Something's wrong here," the princess stated. "No one has seen or knows anything about 3P0. He's been gone too long to have gotten lost."

"Relax," Han cooed, kissing her forehead. "I'll talk to Lando and see what I can find out."

"I don't trust Lando! I can't see why Elaina does!"

"Well, I don't trust him, either…and what's with suddenly calling Lana 'Elaina'? But, he is my friend. Besides…we'll soon be gone."

"And then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" she worried, silently dreading the day Han left her. Suddenly, Chewie came in carrying a box full of parts that could only be the beloved droid. "What happened?"

The Wookie grunted out a short explanation.

"Where? Found him in a junk pile," the pirate groaned.

"Oh, what a mess! Chewie, do you think you can repair him?"

"Lando's got people who can fix him."

"No, thanks."

Just then, a most unwelcome sight entered the room: Lando Calrissian.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not really."

"You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds."

"Thank you…and Elaina?"

"Well, of course! I just had dinner with her last night and she fits this place like glove. Will you join me for a little refreshment? Everyone's invited, of course. Having trouble with your droid?"

"No, no problem…why?" Han carefully denied.

--

"A dream?" Jay wondered over the com. "That's what Vader turned for? Because the Emperor offered him a possible future of someone dying?"

"Not just 'someone'," Kelly argued, clarifying. "The vision was of his wife dying in childbirth."

"That doesn't sound too pleasant…"

"Indeed. It's a frightful thing to know that the person you love more than anything might die."

Luke piped up from in front of his aunt.

"What about my father? Why did Vader kill him?"

"Anakin protested to Vader's submission to the Emperor, so Vader eliminated him as a threat. He died practically the moment Vader turned."

"I've never heard whether Aylana ever had a relationship. She must have at least once in over forty years. Was it Vader? Is that why she gets so upset whenever he's mentioned."

The brunette laughed, though feeling slightly cornered. There was only one way to keep her sister out of the boy's picture. He was making enough connections with what he had.

"Vader and Elaina…they're, umm…brother and sister." She instantly sensed her companions' shivers.

"Is that why Vader's so desperate to capture her?" the doctor put in.

"Partially…" Kelly didn't know how to continue, so she checked their positioning. "We should be arriving at Bespin soon.

--

Han could feel his heart racing as the stormtroopers opened a door, through which stood a rather creepy rack. Knowing the Empire, the next hour wouldn't be easy for him. He submitted to being strapped to the table, but caught sight of what lay on the floor: Elaina. She was sweaty, bruised, bleeding at the lip, and unconscious with what looked to be a puncture mark on her outstretched arm. At that moment, Vader strode in through a side door.

"What did you do to her?" the captive insisted. "What do you want?" Honestly, whatever they asked him, there wasn't much he knew worth hiding. Any codes the Rebellion used, he always forgot with the drop of a hat.

The Sith merely looked at him, flipped the switch, and left, closing the door behind him. What followed was purely pointless agony.

--

Slowly, Elaina became aware of her surroundings, the throbbing headache, the fading screams of someone being electrocuted on the rack, and Vader standing between her and the victim. After a few seconds, the zapping sounds and the cries ceased. The muffled sound of the black tower's extraction orders faintly registered and the man, none other than Han, was dragged out. Fully regaining her senses, the girl weakly sat up. While she didn't remember too much of the torture, she did remember her attacker's phrase, 'first of all'. That didn't leave much room for her just being taken to a cell at that moment. Making up for lost time?

"I took the liberty of having you once more given a dosage of the Emperor's ally," he hissed as she noticed the stinging poke spot on her arm. "My previous failure in your turning was that you were not near a user of the dark side as much as possible. That flaw was easily solved with the coming of my new apprentice." Instantly, the blond pushed herself up against the wall as her younger nephew entered through the side door.

"Qui-Gon, what are you doing here?" she whispered hoarsely, trying to bite back her growing fear. If Vader broke the strong young commander in about three days…

--

"Now is your chance, my young nephew, to begin your training and obtain revenge for your sheltered upbringing." Qui-Gon glared stonily at the woman on the floor after his Master left. He had never seen her so frightened…or rather terrified.

"Qui-Gon," she said softly, "what did he do to you?"

"He brought me to my senses, General," the new Jedi snapped calmly.

"Qui-Gon, if I or Kelly ever sheltered you from any information, it was only to protect you from becoming…"

"…strong?" he finished, beginning to flood the insect with the memories of pain, suffering, and betrayal given to him by the Sith…with the accompanying sympathy pains, of course. "I didn't even know your real name until Vader told me. I didn't know you were a Jedi on the council, that you conspired with Padme and Obi-Wan to kill him, that you never paid Vader any heed, that you betrayed the Emperor and…"

"I did no such thing!" With that, the girl began fighting back, fired by the insults. It was just what he wanted before getting to the point.

"You betrayed me, Elaina. You and Kelly both kept me in the dark about my real potential, my heritage!" A single memory from Elaina slipped past his guard; a single image.

_A tearful sixteen-year-old Elaina knelt by a calm river on a stone walkway, blood seeping through her clothing at her waist and her hair draping over her shoulder. She was embracing the quietly bawling small boy with her, vainly trying to comfort him in her own sorrow._

"_I am so sorry I wasn't there to save him, Anakin," she managed to get out, stroking his hair with a sudden fondness she had never felt before. "I'm…so sorry."_

_The duo just sat there for some time, appreciating each other's company as they never would again. Before, she had feared what the boy could become, just as Yoda. Now, she knew that there was a spirit of innocence and justice that would never leave him, even in his darkest hour._

"I always knew that he was still Anakin," the real Elaina stated, staring at the floor in her agony, reliving the concluding battle between her brother and Obi-Wan and dreading the approaching outcome that she would feel in almost all of its potency. "He's still there, Qui-Gon! Behind that mask is that same boy who cried in my arms when our father died. That's how I know that you're still there. You're still my nephew and second-in-command, whatever Vader tells you."

The man's eyes softened as he bent down, but they quickly hardened again.

"Yes, you're my aunt…but you're also the woman who lied to me with every breath and look.

Her piercing screams echoed throughout the halls and rang in his ears as she felt and saw for the first time the pain of Vader as his legs and arm were sliced away and he was left to burn by the man he once considered a father and a brother.

The memories abruptly ended with the last true emergence of Anakin.

"_Where is Padme? Is she safe? Is she all right?"_

For several minutes, the girl lay there sobbing, even grabbing a hold of the apprentice's pant leg.

"Qui-Gon, please," she begged. "I'm sorry I hid all those things from you. I'm sorry I couldn't save Anakin. I'm sorry about everything! Please!"

He grimly stared down.

"It's too late for that. Now, you will pay for what you did to me and Vader."

So, um, Relin's 'bite to eat' scenario was based on a scene from The Terminal with Tom Hanks.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	24. Broken Ties

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and I love dance for your reviews!

Evanescence's "Bleed" goes with scene 1, Ronan Keating's "If Tomorrow Never Comes" is for scene 2, and Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" goes with scene 4…

Broken Ties

The captive was literally dragged by the two stormtroopers through the halls, though she fought and protested, insisting with unnatural persistence that she could stand on her own, regardless of the intense agony she had just been through. Without a second thought, the warriors tossed her into the cell where Leia was still bending over Han protectively and jogged away.

"Yeah, you'd better run!" the blond sneered, trying and failing to stand from the automatic hunch taken on by her body. "Wait 'til you face my boss!" With a concerned whine, the long-time friend, Chewie, came rushing towards her, attempting an enveloping embrace. "Get off of me, you big fur ball," she snarled.

"Elaina, what's wrong? Are you all right? What happened?" the Leia asked, approaching the bodyguard, ignoring the warning glare. She tried grabbing the other woman's shoulders in her confusion over the behavior, only to be sent to the floor by a terrific punch.

"Don't you dare touch me again, Princess, or call me by that name."

Shocked, Leia looked up, wiping blood from her mouth. Upon seeing that, Elaina gaped with horror just before slumping into Chewie's arms with a groan.

Instantly, both of the other human occupants rushed over, Han worriedly looking to his girl.

Elaina simply laid there, limp, gasping in terror,

"What have I done?!"

"Lana, why did you do that?" the captain merely questioned, still looking at her charge.

"She…he gave her power."

The other three exchanged confused glances. Of course they didn't understand! She had hid this from them for three years.

"Who? What are you talking about?" the princess insisted.

"I'm sorry!" Elaina sobbed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her. I thought I could control her."

"What in the blazes are you talking about, Elaina?! Calm yourself!"

After a moment, the other girl was finally able to comply, instantly realizing her residual pain.

"When we were captured by Vader three years back, you remember that they used an experimental treatment thing called the Emperor's Ally, which brings to mind that they also used it on Qui-Gon. Well, rather than just weakening the will, causing hallucinations, etc, the Ally basically creates a rival personality. It's you in a way, but the Ally takes and combines all aspects of your character that best fit the desired outcome, a servant of the Emperor, into the other personality. It may sound tricky, but it's not.

"Everyone has basically the same potential for good and evil, loud and quiet, serious and flippant, but the variance of those traits greatly differs from person to person. The Ally just emphasizes certain…things."

She leaned back into her furry cushion, exhausted from the dialogue and the fight with her other half.

"Elaina, what about it?"

"She's been there ever since then, but she didn't have the time to gather strength since I escaped. I couldn't decipher her until recently. I wasn't fighting a thing so much as a person created by the thing."

"Why are you bringing this up, now?"

"Because Vader gave me another dose. She's three times stronger than before. I'm barely holding her back." There was a moment of silence and she suddenly smiled a bit. "No worries! Once we high-tail it outta' here, she'll just slip into the background like before."

Realization instantly dawned in Leia's eyes.

"The base's shield generator quit far sooner than it should have."

"Yes, that was her. That's where I got these." When Elaina lifted her arms to show the faint burns, it was quite clear that the woman had not seen them before.

At that moment, Qui-Gon entered the room, followed by half a dozen stormtroopers.

"Lord Vader requests your presence," he smirked prior to looking at Elaina. "You and I need to have a little chat." The others were escorted out, Chewie having gently removed himself from underneath the woman.

"I've had enough of talking with you."

"Oh, not you! I meant her."

She felt the entity come forth, sensing the weakness.

"What do you want? When word gets around that you have held me here, you will suffer immeasurably."

"What's your name?"

"I have not been given one, yet, and I would not tell you if I did. You do not deserve to know."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that."

"Really, now? If there's something you can offer that is useful, I might reconsider. There is much I can tell about the soon-to-be-former owner of this body."

"What do you mean by soon-to-be-former owner?"

"Elaina Jinn…Kalonya…Skywalker…whatever she calls herself anymore…she has many secrets that not even her sister or princess knows. The Emperor will help me secure control."

--

As they were escorted down the stairs, Han looked around through the steam in the red-lit room to see a grated floor with a large hole. It gave him a very bad feeling. He hardly heard 3PO's constant whining as he glanced worriedly at Leia, who bravely stood by him, though fear clearly showed through. Glowering at the man in front of him, the captain leaned forward, saying,

"What's going on…buddy?"

"You're being put into carbon freeze," the other ground out, barely taking eyes off the hole.

"What's going to happen to Leia?" His main concern, while completely contradictory to his renowned character, was for the princess. He had been the one to insist on trusting Lando and coming to this place for repairs; therefore, he felt somewhat responsible for her. Next time, he would remember to keep his list of trusted friends extremely limited…if there was a next time.

"She and Chewie will be allowed to stay here, as long as I don't let them leave. Don't worry; I'll keep them safe. It's the least I can do," Lando muttered tightly.

Instantly, Han was suspicious. Before the holding cell, none of them had seen or heard from Elaina since departing to their separate rooms; yet, this man had seemed to know so much of her whereabouts during that time.

"And Elaina?"

With that, there commenced a long, drawn out pause. Conflict was evident in the former friend's eyes and figure. Again, the captain's thoughts returned to Leia on a different track. Had he done enough for her to protect and love her as he felt? Did she really know?

"I don't know what they are, but Vader has plans for her. I did everything I could to stop it."

"No, you didn't."

If only Leia would just give him a word, even just a look to make him reassured that she would be all right. He had to do more to keep her safe. With Elaina out of the picture, it was the least he could do.

"…you're right. I didn't." Lando slightly turned, guiltily and quickly looking at Leia. "She somehow knew what was happening. I tried convincing her to get away, but she refused. I…I should have made her go. I don't know why I didn't!"

Leia instinctively moved to grab Han's arm, hissing,

"She knew this was going to happen?"

"I'm sorry. I should have warned you. I just thought…" Confounded, the man turned back around while the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, and Vader conversed nearby. When she started trembling, the woman beside him detached herself from Han's arm in order to at least appear not completely terrified for him. All the signs were there. Yes, she loved him.

"What if he doesn't survive?" Fett queried. "He's worth a lot to me."

"The Empire will compensate you if he dies," Vader stated simply. "Put him in!"

As he locked eyes with Leia, Chewie began having a fit, pounding at the guards. Instantly, he knew how to ensure Leia's safety, stepping in front of the crazed Wookie.

"Stop, Chewie, stop!" he cried. "Do you hear me? Stop! Chewie, this won't help me. Hey! Save your strength. There'll be another time. The princess…you have to take care of her." Quietly, the girl approached Chewie, looking from the creature and back to Han. "You hear me? Huh?"

On an impulse, the man stepped closer to the brunette, meeting in the middle for one last, passionate kiss before the guards dragged him back to the platform, though the captors couldn't break their locked gazes.

"I love you!" the princess exclaimed.

All he said was,

"I know."

Slowly, to Chewie's loudly audible distress, the platform lowered. All he could think about was that she was safe…at least to the greatest extent of his abilities. Any further thought was abruptly cut off by pain…burning, freezing pain…

--

"Kelly, stay with the ship," Luke ordered to the woman's incredible aggravation. A few moments before, they had entered the hallways of Cloud City.

"You have no right to boss me around, kid. I was giving orders long before you were taking them," the brunette snapped back, peeking around the next corner. "No; I am telling you to go find…" She cut off her sentence when a figure appeared in the next hall. "Blasted!"

"What? What's wrong?" Jay queried when Kelly grimaced, seeing about a dozen stormtroopers joining the first figure.

"Sir," the lead clone began, "reports have come in from several of our patrols of a human disabling branched parties with a metal rod. We've tried several attempts to capture him, but he somehow eludes every attempt. I think we can safely assume that Lord Vader was right and he's part of the party that came in with the _Millennium Falcon_."

"Obviously," the man pointed out. "Tell them to close in on his position and avoid splitting up. Go join them. I'll be with you momentarily."

"Yes, Sir." When the soldiers left, the man grumbled to himself while pacing.

"I come here for Kalonya and I'm sent to chase after a mongrel scientist with a bunch of useless warriors!"

"His name is Darrell Finchman, a bounty hunter," Kelly said, "though he tends to go by the name Aaron Locksley. A few decades ago, he tried collecting a small bounty for me: an aftereffect of one of my less-than-successful missions. I chased him off and apparently there's a bit of a grudge."

"Did you just say decades?" Jay asked doubtfully.

"Yes, is something wrong with that?"

The doctor clicked her tongue.

"Nope."

"Good. Luke, you go after Elaina and the others. Jay and I will take care of this and then go find Qui-Gon, or at least his whereabouts."

"Do we really have to go, confront this guy, and get ourselves in more trouble than necessary when he's just minding his own business?"

"If we don't confront him, he'll come after us quite soon with backup, I assure you. He may look like just a dumb charmer, but I have the feeling that, if he tracked me here, he'll be able to pick up our scent in a matter of minutes. This way, we only have to deal with him."

Nodding in resignation, the boy trotted off in the opposite direction with R2 in tow. The two women stepped out into the open, leaving Zed against the wall sighing in annoyance.

"Kelly-Fyn!" the bounty hunter cried, instantly seeing the girls, tossing a slightly heavy-looking shoulder pack to the floor, and drawing his pistol.

"I go by Kelly now, if you don't mind, Darrell."

"And I still prefer going by Aaron…if you don't mind. Who is your pretty little friend, I want to know?"

"None of your business, Aaron." Realizing that she somehow couldn't use the Force against him, Kelly drew her lightsaber.

"I see that you discovered the effects of my little gadget there," he stated, nodding to the bag. "It's a hybrid of a much older model that…blocks Force-users from their ability. Fascinating, isn't it?"

--

Hearing a step behind her, Jay turned around and froze. Kelly nodded knowingly, though she hadn't even looked, and motioned for her to go.

"I'll be fine," the commander insisted. "I've learned that a pistol is no match for a lightsaber when used properly."

Quick as lightening, the surgeon raced after the retreating man.

"Qui-Gon!" she yelled eagerly. "Qui-Gon!" He stopped, apparently reluctant to turn around. "Qui-Gon, we came to save you. We're all here: me, Kelly, and Luke." She blinked at his lack of reaction. "Qui-Gon, we have to go and help Luke, Kelly, either one! We just have to go. What's the matter with you?" When he turned around, the girl was met by the coldest, saddest look she had ever thought possible for a human being. "Blasted, they got to you! But, everything's all right, now. I'm here!" she cried, touching his arm warily.

He looked at the contacting hand as if it didn't belong in the galaxy.

"Don't touch me, again." Even his voice was cold, but she refused to believe that her influence meant nothing after such a short time.

"Qui-Gon…only a few days ago, you confessed your love for me. Something like that doesn't disappear in that short a time. Don't you remember?" An evil smile covered his gallant features.

"Of course I remember. And you fell for it, didn't you? You actually thought that I could love a treacherous, pathetic little wretch like you." She stepped back in disbelief, at first thinking it to be just forced nonsense…but then she looked into his eyes. He was actually serious! "Getting close to you, my broken arm, 'sneaking' into the infirmary and getting caught, just happening to be in one of the rooms in lockdown mode…it was all so that I could get back to the Emperor."

"You've never seen the Emperor!"

"No? What makes you so sure?"

He wasn't serious, was he?

"You believe this?! How can you? You think you used me?" she smirked. Then, she saw…but she chased him anyway when he went on his merry way.

She was remembering the glances he shot her way when she would check the first aid supplies of the various ships, the covert flirtation, the 'accidental' injuries, the 'I love you'…

"You know what?" she suddenly barked, stopping in her tracks. "Fine! I believe you. In fact, you know what? I've never been better than since you were captured. I actually went on a fighter trip by myself. I got some work done. I met new people. I hardly did any of that when you were around."

"Jay," he protested, seeing the tides turning in the victory.

"No, no! I get it. You never loved me; that's fine. In fact, maybe I never loved you, either!"

"I had no choice but to do this! He showed me the future. Everything was perfect, but it all ended in chaos. I did this to protect you."

"Really? Well, thanks to you, whatever that future was, it will not even remotely happen. Guess we're just stuck with a bunch of bad guys doing a bunch of winning with a bunch of loss involved. I get it! You never loved me? That's just fine." She was beyond grief. She was simply mad.

"Jay," he persisted, running after her down the adjacent hall she had taken, "you don't understand." Now, there was something different in his eyes as she glanced back…more of Qui-Gon than a mindless drone. "Jay, I did it to protect you. Vader said he would leave you alone if I joined him."

"And do you believe him?" She posed the question as plain as day and the conflict in him seemed to rage on for a moment. "Qui-Gon, I came this far to save you. If you don't need saving, then I'm just wasting my time!"

She could almost hear a clock ticking, but a side eventually won.

"Jay, you're wrong." His voice was tight, yet it held a familiar softness. "Elaina tried and even begged me to change my mind, but…no, you're wrong. You're the only one who can save me.

--

It took Luke a moment or two to quit feeling jittery about the randomly puffing steam throughout the room, but, upon mounting the stairs, he finally noticed the ominous personage standing rather close by. Almost eager to begin this encounter, he fetched the lightsaber at his belt.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker," Vader stated, "but, you are not a Jedi, yet." They parried back and forth a few times, but it seemed as though the Sith was almost toying with him. "So, Elaina was right. You are becoming strong. But she also foresaw your unpreparedness."

"You're wrong. I am ready." The creature laughed and merely stood aside for a moment.

He still found it hard to fathom that the sweet, just, self-sacrificing general was related to such evil, but it at least made sense since the woman had always gotten a strange look when talking of Vader.

…then the battle really started and the boy realized somewhat why his friends had protested so much to his going.

--

Leia's emotions were running wild! She felt agonizing sadness and fear for Han's fate, but at the same time, she worried for her friends, both the ones with her and not. The princess was so deep in thought that she didn't realize the abrupt coupe until the stormtroopers were already disarmed.

"Well done," Lando told his ambushing guards. "Hold them in the security tower…and keep it quiet. Move!"

Leia was in no mood for gratitude. She was angry.

"What do you think you're doing?" she growled, standing beside Chewie while the man started undoing the Wookie's binders.

"We're getting out of here."

"I knew all along it had to be a mistake!" 3PO blindly cried.

In that instant, the furball took advantage of the situation and proceeded to grab the administrator by the throat, choking him.

"Do you think that, after what you did to Han, we're going to trust you?" she interrogated.

He replied between gasps for air while grappling with Chewie's squeezing paws.

"I had no choice…"

"Oh, so we understand, don't we, Chewie? He had no choice," the girl mocked angrily.

"I'm just trying to help."

"We don't need any of your help." For a moment, the man appeared to be merely attempting a single word. "What?"

"It sounds like 'Han'!" the droid opinionated.

"There's still a chance to save Han…I mean, at the East Platform," he breathed.

Instantly, they took off in that direction, leaving Lando to catch his breath before following.

--

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" the doctor worried asked as they rounded another corner, with Qui-Gon scratching his head.

"Well, it was hard enough finding my way even before our little run-around. Woah!" the man suddenly exclaimed as he nearly fell over in avoiding a flying object. The little man attached to it definitely looked ready to kill as he babbled incoherently in some foreign language.

"Zelishka! Easy! It's me: Dr. Erassa." The frazzled scientist froze for a moment, comprehending her words.

"Doctor…Erassa?" he stuttered.

"Yes, how did you get here?"

"I might be asking you the same thing." He still hadn't lowered the pole.

"I went chasing after Commander Skywalker and then we came to save you and the others." She purposefully avoided giving away the fact that they had not even known of his presence. "Dr, we're not your enemies."

"Then, why did I see him giving orders to stormtroopers and conferring with Vader?"

"For a while, they had forced him onto their side…but not anymore." Slowly, the club was lowered and set down. "Thank you. Now, we need to get back to Kelly. When I left her, she was confronting that Finch-Lock character."

"Locksley?" Relin queried. "I saw him go this direction a while ago."

--

"I'm disappointed, Kelly!" the man exclaimed while rubbing his elbow. "So many years, I was sure that you would have improved by now!"

Having not wanted to merely kill the bounty hunter in cold blood, Kelly had put her lightsaber aside after dispatching his gun and decided to resolve the situation with hand-to-hand combat. Yes, a few painful blows had been exchanged, but nothing which would allow her to leave him unconscious…and it was getting rather annoying.

"Darrell, this whole thing was solved years ago! I chased you off and you went on your merry way."

"You humiliated me and ruined my reputation!"

"You seem to be well enough off."

With that, she exchanged a flooring punch to the mouth following an offered kick. As he fell to the floor, Locksley drew a small pistol from his boot, aimed it, and fired. Before he even pulled the trigger, the brunette had her weapon engaged and on a path to intercept the shot.

Grimacing in shock, the charmer fell backwards into death's cool embrace, having been hit by his own redirected fire.

"Kelly!" Jay called upon rounding the corner. "I see you solved the problem."

"Yes," the other woman answered, securing her lightsaber, "I just wish that it hadn't been necessary."

"Relin says he knows where Captain Solo is."

"Relin?" At that moment, two men screeched to a halt in front of them, panting.

"Jay, where'd you learn to run like that?" Qui-Gon managed to get out."

"Qui-Gon!" Instantly, Kelly launched herself into her son's arms, enjoying at least a few seconds of the satisfaction of his present safety.

"Commander," Zelishka began, "I know where they're taking Captain Solo, but we must hurry. They're taking him to someone called 'Jabba the Hutt'."

In all urgency, they fled in but a few moments' time to the proposed area, only to by chance meet Leia, Chewie, and another man at the doorway leading outside just as the strangely familiar craft took off. The Wookie and the princess vainly fired several shots after it, but Han was gone.

"Oh, no! Chewie, they're behind you!" 3PO cried from his position on the creature's back. A firefight ensued with incoming stormtroopers until they managed to all crowd into the nearby elevator.

"Some reunion, huh?" Kelly grumbled, though she smiled in pleasure of being reunited at all with her companions. Ignoring her, Leia glared at the strange man, who the Jedi just realized was the one from her visions.

"Where are we going?" the shorter woman demanded. "Why are we going to a lower level?"

"Would you rather go back to where we were?" he snapped back. "We're going back to your cell…Elaina's still there."

"I have an idea," Jay offered. "There are enough of us that some can go find the _Falcon_ and get the engines going, while the rest find Elaina."

"Excellent," the commander agreed. "All right, Qui-Gon and I will go find Elaina and the rest will head for the ship."

"Wait a second! If Qui-Gon goes, I go."

"Fine. Not that it is fine," she grumbled as the door opened.

--

After several minutes of fighting their way through patrols and locked doors, the group finally reached the _Falcon_, boarded through a maze of pursuing fire, and began starting the engines.

"Where are they?!" Lando insisted, flinching at another hit on their hull.

Suddenly, the shots ceased.

"Chewie, can you go check it out?" Leia suggested. Only a few seconds later, a joyful whine emanated from the investigator. He instantly came running back, hopped into the pilot seat, and took off.

"Are we going yet?" Kelly called, halting her frenzied run at the cockpit. The question obviously didn't require any answering, though Lando's mind was split between focuses and had a single query simply burning a hole.

"Where's Elaina? Is she okay?"

"Eh, she'll be fine," the woman said, waving it off with slightly forced coolness as the ship sped through the clouds. "I've lost count of times she's gotten herself into situations like this."

"Luke," the princess suddenly breathed. "We've got to go back."

"What?!" the administrator protested.

"I know where Luke is."

"But, what about those fighters?" Chewie growled in agreement with the man while Kelly just looked intently at Leia.

"Chewie, just do it!"

"But, what about Vader?!" The Wookie growled a warning, having been convinced. "All right, all right, all right." He simply resigned himself to his companions' decision, looking for any possible place that the young Jedi could be hanging from on the outside of a floating city and beginning a conversation with the woman beside him. "I'm Lando."

"Kelly," she shortly replied, her focus mainly on the window before giving the man a slight smile. "I'm Luke's aunt."

"You're hardly old enough."

"Thanks, but I'm older than I look."

"As is Elaina."

"Yeah…" The girl began showing signs of being uncomfortable with the conversation. Just then, he saw it.

"Look! Someone's up there."

"It's Luke," the princess voted. "Chewie, slow down. Slow down and we'll get under him. Lando, open the top hatch."

Lando immediately complied, rushed to his post, and stepped onto the little rising platform. As soon as the hatch opened, the battered boy fell into his arms, allowing him to reseal the opening as they went back down.

"Lando?" Leia queried over the com.

"Okay, let's go!" he called.

By the time he handed Luke over to the girl, fighters were already attacking. Jumping to the controls, he called,

"All right, Chewie. Let's go." He only hoped that the Empire wouldn't catch them for this delay.

Between the disabled hyperdrive and the pursuing fighters, it took time, but they managed to get away by the skin of their noses.

Well, only one more chapter for this episode, I think. Boy, these have gotten long!

As you probably noticed, I lengthened the carbon freezing scene…just thought you should know. Thanks for reading and please review!


	25. Tabula Rasa: Part 1

Thanks Katie Ladmoore for your review!

Since it's the end of a movie, I'm giving all scenes in this chapter and the next a song. I don't know…the ideas have been stewing for a while. Sorry for taking so long!

Rascal Flatts' "Pieces" is for scene 1, Russel Watson's "Faith of the Heart" is with scene 2, Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" is w/ scene 3, and Josh Groban's "To Where You Are" is for scene 4…

Tabula Rasa: Part 1

Still feeling slightly dazed from recent events, Relin wandered slowly into ship infirmary, directly from the _Falcon_. Several nurses were bustling around, preparing gurneys and setting out trays and medical implements. One of the more attractive ladies instantly swept him toward one of the movable cots, putting a swab to his forehead in an effort to clean the single wound the stormtroopers had managed to inflict in his guerilla attacks. The scientist vainly tried waving her away.

"Where are the others?"

His only answer at first was a small light in his eyes.

"I think you have a slight concussion," the plump little blond stated before sympathetically glancing at him. Her next sentence was slightly aggravated. "I don't know why they're taking so long. We got the call in here nearly ten minutes ago to expect injuries. Larian and Anise went to escort them. Don't worry; no casualties. Everyone else is worried about Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo. But I'm happy that you're all right."

"Me?" Dr. Zelishka had always been the type of person no one wanted to sit next to in the cafeteria. The idea of someone being relieved to see him was…astronomical. "Do I know you?"

He flinched at the prick of a pain killer.

"I joined the Rebellion a few months ago. I recognized one of your inventions from somewhere. It's fascinating how you managed to set a time loop to expand the efficiency."

The man blinked at the familiar techno babble.

"Jen, they're here!" another nurse called. In instant response, 'Jen' pushed Relin down and motioned for him to stay put before racing off to the front of the room where most of the women were gathering.

Regardless of the warning, he bounced up, looking towards the entrance. A split second later, Aylana appeared, being carried in the arms of Calrissian. Relin approached easily since only one unfamiliar doctor was tending to the girl, unlike the three nurses and head surgeon with Luke. All of the others had one or two attendants each inspecting them for injuries.

"Lando, I'm fine. I'm just tired," Lana protested to the suspicious man's worried support of her shoulder as she tried sitting up, a crooked smile accompanying the chiding laugh. "Benton, can't you tell him to ease off?"

Zelishka spoke before the doctor could.

"I'd listen to her, Administrator."

The girl noticed his minute hostility.

"It's fine, Relin. Lando's just being over-protective. Obviously, you know him."

"I know of him."

"What do you expect?" Lando countered the blond. "It was my fault you ended up needing be carried into the infirmary in the first place."

"It was my choice. Live with it," she growled roughly as the doctor poked her ribs in an apparently sensitive spot. "Besides, I didn't need to be carried. I was walking fine until you grabbed me up like a sack of mushrooms."

Relin eagerly changed the subject.

"I'll fetch S.Q.E.A.K. as soon as they let me out. I can get started on it tomorrow." The girl shook her head. "I insist. You don't have to bother yourself with it…"

"What's S.Q.E.A.K.?" Lando queried.

"Oh, it's just a project that Dr. Zelishka here has been helping me with for a few years," the woman pointed out lightly. "Don't bother rushing, Relin. This has quite the adventure for you. Do you mind?" she scowled, redirecting her conversation to the probing physician as he hit the same rib again, shaking his head.

"What did I tell you?" Jen demanded, suddenly appearing beside him and nudging him back to the abandoned gurney.

The last thing he saw of Aylana was Lando kissing her on the forehead…and her appearing to enjoy it. He mentally snarled before checking himself. Had she truly given him any signs of real affection beyond friendship and gratitude as a colleague? He had to admit to himself that there had never been any genuine, unmistakable signs. Could it have been a mistake?

One way or the other, he didn't want to put himself in a position where he might encounter a temptation to ask her out again.

He had always been there for her, and how did she thank him?

Zelishka had such conflicting emotions all screaming to be heard that they practically canceled each other out; but the fact was: nothing could really be done about the situation. He had blindly given his heart to someone who had hardly ever noticed that possibility! He felt almost ridiculous with the thought.

She had never truly appreciated his skills as more than just an assistant, hardly, anyway.

"So," Jen began, checking his pulse, "I read about your theories of trapping enemy ships and even whole armies in a time dilation field."

--

Jay trotted out of the infirmary, eager to escape the endless questions, get cleaned up, and find Qui-Gon, who had been released nearly an hour previously. A nice, long shower seemed absolutely divine just to think about! Maybe even a bath…with the lights dimmed, candles everywhere…maybe she could scrape up her favorite…

"Dr. Erassa." The calm, commanding voice instantly made the girl stop and turn towards it as she swiftly walked down the hall leading to her quarters, as well as many others. Kelly Kenobi was leaning against the open doorway of a room a little behind the doctor. Jay backtracked in order to properly encounter her lover's mother, though it was still baffling as to how that could be when her son looked practically the same age as she.

"Commander?" She returned the woman's formal address.

"Please come in. There's something we need to discuss." The surgeon instantly followed Kelly into the residence, too blissful about her blooming romance to bother with being suspicious as to the topic of discussion.

Considering that the officer had just moved into the accommodations, it definitely looked to have been lived in for quite some time. Several articles of clothing were strewn on the rumpled sheets of the bed in the corner and the floor, a wet towel lay across the metal-framed desk chair, two forgotten cups of water, one in the sill of the small window and the other on the floor beside the metal-frame chair, were left idle, and a set of wet footprints traced a path from the small refresher room to the gaping miniature closet. It completely contrasted Jay's militarily organized space. The apparent end of Kelly's evident search was a plain ankle-length dress with a modestly low, swooping neckline, tight, long sleeves, and an encompassing seam which encircled the entire garb diagonally.

"You never went to an actual academy, did you?" the doctor asked uneasily, straightening the sheets a bit.

"I trained at the Jedi academy on Coruscant from the age of…twelve, I think. Everything had to be perfect there! But, as soon as I became a Jedi…no more room examinations. When you're like me, everybody thinks that you should remember everything from your heyday! A drink?"

"No, thanks… What exactly did you want to talk about?"

The older woman dug a small drinking canister from bottom of the closet, swirled it, and took a swig. Wiping her mouth in a rather unladylike fashion, Kelly actually seemed surprised.

"You're in love with my son. What did you expect?"

"Well, I suppose… We're both adults and, from what I can tell, mature enough to make out own decisions."

Suddenly, Kelly's casual façade completely disappeared in that moment. She was still calmly restraining her obviously desired actions, but that fact was quite evident.

"Are you suggesting that I would consider stepping between you two? Well, you're right. Love is not something you just feel on the spur of the moment and expect to last forever. That is passion; it's short-lived and painful. I will not let you hurt Qui-Gon by making him think that your love is genuine."

"I'm sensing some anger here," the doctor noted with a smirk. Neither the academy nor her experience had ever prepared her for facing a protective mother.

"Anger? No, no, no. This is not anger. This is me telling you to back off, disappear, anything!"

"Or else what?" Sure it was wrong to egg her on, but it was so amusing to see someone supposedly so 'old' and experienced acting so…well, frankly, immature.

"What? Do you want to know what? My…best friend is closer to the princess than anyone and my nephew is the most respected commander in the fleet. I could have you thrown out for being a traitor!"

"You really think that I would still be sided with the Emperor?" Jay had finally realized how serious the other woman was. Was she crazy? "Kelly, from what I've heard from Qui-Gon, you've been through a lot during your life: losing practically everyone and everything you cared for, fighting in a galaxy-wide war, being deceived by and working with the Sith with all of your abilities for a time, and watching everything good crumble possibly because of you before finally finding someone who loved you for being you, regardless of your past wrongs and flaws.

But, we are more alike than you think. My parents and brother were all slaughtered by the Emperor's order because of my refusal to do it myself, forcing me to flee as a traitor for my turn; I have been fighting in this conflict for control over the galaxy through my entire career; I was made to think for years that the Empire was good and that the Rebellion was bad; I lost everything I cared for. Does that sound familiar? Kelly, I had no one to look up to! The only person I truly knew, trusted, and cared for was my little sister. Then…then, Qui-Gon came along. Kelly, he's the most caring, trustworthy, and understanding person I've ever known. If you can't understand that, look at your own experience."

With that, the surgeon departed for a slightly spoiled relaxing time, but with just as much resolve as ever.

--

"Lando, honestly!" the girl cried. "You don't have to follow me around like a rebuked dog! Can I at least go to my quarters and get cleaned up without you tailing me?" All she got was a mirthless laugh as the dashing man continued chasing her down the corridor. Then, the answer dawned on her. "Lando, you're now part of the Rebellion, right?"

"Not officially, but yes," he suspiciously answered, still in pursuit. A familiar face appeared and disappeared ahead. She had to ditch this fellow.

"That means that you are under my command. You're orders are to report to the other commanders, brief them on the situation as far as you are aware, and receive your rank and assignment. Go!"

Baffled for a moment, Lando finally submitted, giving her arm one last worried squeeze before running off. A few seconds following, Elaina was still staring after him.

Did he really love her?

For so long in her younger days, she had chased after Obi-Wan: a dream without a conclusion, a vision without an answer, a hope without hope, a love without love. Honestly, she didn't know what love really was. She had made too many mistakes to find any answers to that eternal question. Who was she to know what love really felt like?

Shaking her head, the general went straight for her room, not being surprised to see a tall, strong man suddenly sitting on her unused bed. Oddly, he was twirling a broken lightsaber in his hand.

"Familiar?" he questioned, pointedly holding the object in plain view.

The blond barely glanced at the disabled weapon before grabbing a pair of loose, brown pants and a similarly-colored, sleeveless V-neck and heading for the refresher room, ditching her battered clothes in the process.

"Yeah, Dad. It was sliced off with my thumb," Elaina grumbled, popping her head back out the door showing her visible mechanical finger.

He smirked and another perfect image appeared in his hand.

"You mean this?"

"That's disgusting!" she exclaimed, slipping into the shower.

"Your finger…" Then, Qui-Gon apparently stopped all dialogue, causing the girl to unconsciously listen rather intently through the running water for any possible sounds outside the door. "It's funny how you lose or destroy practically everything I ever gave you." She scoffed loudly. "My lightsaber included, which brings to mind…do you happen to know what Obi-Wan ever did with my last one?"

"What, are you planning on taking back?"

"Just wondering. Oh, another thing you have dismissed over the years: your self-respect. I'd like to think that I at least taught you that."

"I respect myself."

"Then why blame yourself like this? You still have yet to forgive yourself for things that happened decades ago!"

Elaina paused in grabbing a towel. She had actually been able to push her lifelong regrets into the background for a while with all of the other recent issues.

"Listen, we both know that it's my fault that I wasn't there for you when you needed me most because I was trying to be a hero; as a council member, a Jedi, and sister, I should have ignored the Emperor's threat to blackmail me into keeping his plot to take over a secret, but decided not to be the hero and instead played it safe. Because of my mistakes, Palpatine, or whatever you want to call him, is now completely in power over the galaxy, the Jedi are all but extinct, Anakin is Vader…is there anything I'm missing?"

"Oh, yes…a few: I'm dead, Obi-Wan's dead, Padme's dead…"

"…and I'd do anything to change that," she interrupted.

"But, if you did change everything, what of my namesake and his doctor, Luke and this nurse who seems just simply to be head-over-heels for him, and you and this Lando? What relationships and civilizations could be ruined by your wishes?"

"The Empire, the Emperor, and his relationship to the entire galaxy! With the Emperor out of the picture at the beginning of all this mess, everyone we ever loved could be saved…with just that one act!" While applying her salvaged gun belt, Elaina eagerly gazed at her father.

"Don't let your blame take you down that path. We both know what it leads to. All you need to resolve that feeling is to eliminate the need for it."

She sat down beside him, quite disturbed from her thoughts.

"You know…" She bit her lip rather hard. "You never…forgave me."

"You never asked to be forgiven. You were too busy drowning in self-pity."

The woman glared, but was still feeling incredibly remorseful.

"Well, can I ask now?"

"Better late than never."

"Will you forgive me?"

"Of course, darling. I forgave you long ago. Now, can you quit this rampaging desire for changing everything you ever did?"

"For now, but it wasn't all my fault, you know. I wasn't finished."

"Oh?"

"Kelly could put a little more effort into killing Dooku and she could have spent less time sulking about me possibly stealing Obi-Wan and more time on her duties as a Jedi."

"No one is perfect."

Sure, she felt better. She would never feel good, but it was an improvement, a start to redemption: that road with no certain end. Kelly had started that path long ago with Obi-Wan. In fact, she was probably near its end even. The widow had had help in love; perhaps this was Elaina's chance.

--

A few minutes after the surgeon had left, Kelly was still muttering to herself about how the two youths were not even somewhat ready for love. All her griping unfortunately didn't keep back the nagging thought that perhaps they were right and she was wrong. Her motherly instinct and family history pointed directly to the swift downfall of what Jay called 'love'. Her logic and own romantic experience, on the other hand, seemed just as reasonable in thinking that this relationship could and would last, perhaps, a lifetime.

"Why do these situations always have to have two sides?" she muttered, snatching the abandoned cup from the floor, only to place it on the desk and seat herself dejectedly in the chair.

"Anything in life is that way," her husband opinionated from the window. She knew he hadn't been there before.

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. Even this whole war has more than one side. Before the Empire, while many thrived under the protection of the order, many were convinced that we were evil, lazy dictators."

"But we weren't!"

"They thought so. Just look at what happened. The Jedi are fugitives, though the galaxy is admittedly making a turnaround. Similarly, there was my personal conflict with Anakin. One side was that he was being twisted by evil, lied to, and weak-willed, to a certain extent (though I utterly resent that thought, since Anakin was one of the strongest people I have ever known). Contrarily, the council didn't trust him, I was being perhaps too careful in my training of him, and all of us were too blind to see that love and personal attachment could be a good thing."

"Honestly, Obi-Wan," the girl sighed, walking to him as he stared absentmindedly at the stars through the porthole, "you're dead and you're still blaming yourself. You're almost as bad as my sister!"

"I know. It's pathetic," he lightly responded, looking at her with a satisfied smile. Even though the man was old and grey, she still saw the handsome young Knight she had fallen in love with. "I think Qui-Gon is going to talk to her about that."

"Qui-Gon Jinn? It's about time!" With that, she went back to considering her used cup. "I think we have some unresolved issues of our own."

"Care to give an example?"

"I don't know; it's just a feeling. So much has happened. Our marriage almost seemed like a dream. Sure, we had little tiffs about our son's upbringing and a few big arguments that almost sent me packing…but that's probably normal. We always made up afterwards. We had a little home in the middle of nowhere, a little family, overall peace, and each other. As far as I could tell, all my dreams had come true. It wasn't until we started having those visions about your death that I was knocked back into reality."

"Well…" He moved as if to hold her hand, but instead crossed his hands. "…just remember that, one day, everything will be resolved and we will be together for eternity. In times of trouble, just remember that. Everything will eventually fall into place."

"What are you, my parent?"

"No, just your dead husband."

They laughed…just like they had years in the past.

"What do you think I should do about Qui-Gon, though?"

"There isn't much you can do. Advise him and Jay when they need or ask for it, but all you can really do is trust them to do the right thing. Jay was right when she said that they are mature enough to make their own decisions. They're both smart, mature young people who deserve our trust. They have earned it."

Thanks for reading and please review! Oh, and by the way, Tabula Rasa means "blank slate"... :)


	26. Tabula Rasa: Part 2

Thanks I love dance, DragonRider2000, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews (including the catch-ups)!

Well, here's the final chapter for movie #2. Hope you enjoy it!

Josh Groban's "My Confession" is w/ scene 1, Beyonce's "Halo" goes with scene 2, and Paul Gross' "Ride Forever" (I love this song! …and it's so perfect for these two if you sort of figuratively translate it ;)…) is for scene 3… Oh, and scene 3 is pretty much going to be in both Kelly and Elaina's points of view.

Tabula Rasa: Part 2

Qui-Gon poked at his food, including a dry meat and some sort of green vegetable mush, scowling at it as if it was going to get up and walk out without his permission. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to do with himself after his little episode with the generals, admirals, etc. of the fleet. As soon as the term 'Emperor's Ally' had come out of his mouth concerning his interrogations, the respectable leaders instantly had gotten shifty eyes not unlike the look they got whenever that group knew something he didn't…and, whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"I could have told you not to get that stuff," Jay said, suddenly sitting across the table from him with a tray full of sweet ship delicacies and a side of fresh fruit. She grinned at his raised eyebrow. "When you're the head doctor of the Rebellion, you just walk up to the head chef, start a lecture on health and fitness, and they give you something from their little stash of fresh stuff just to make you hush up. Then, on your way out…" She held up a small sweet roll. "…you snatch a few of these while they're closing the cooling unit."

The young man laughed, but she quickly picked up on his mood.

"What's wrong?" the surgeon queried, a bit concerned, tossing him a few treats. "Here's something to make you feel better; doctor's prescription. Did the debriefing not go well?"

He jabbed the chunk of jerky one more time.

"They're suspending my field missions indefinitely."

"That's terrible! Do you know why?"

"Two words: Emperor's Ally." She almost choked on the sweet-smelling yellow fruit. "Do you know something about it?"

Still coughing a bit, Jay set her utensil down and pushed the tray away, apparently lacking an appetite.

"It's, uh…it's the drug we first found out about when Vader used it on Aylana three years ago. I study it when I can, but even its basic formula is more complex and extravagant than anything I've ever seen, even considering that it's the Empire who created it. The one pure sample we got from the attack on Lana back on the Yavin base was barely enough to pass as worth the effort, and even then it's more of a booster than anything, so that was barely enough to go on regardless. However, I have kept track of the General's bloodwork since she was hit with it."

"…and?"

"I can only guess that it's probably because she didn't get the second dose or something because the drug seemed to have just broken down in her system completely after about six months or so. I'm surprised it took even that long." Qui-Gon just stared at the wall for a moment. "Do you have an idea? Anything helps. I'm not too proud to admit that I'm way out of my league."

"It didn't break down. The reason you probably weren't able to find anything after such an extended period was probably because she didn't get the second treatment, so it took longer to take its true effect."

"…which was?"

"An alternate personality. Someone who could eventually know everything she does. It reduces the hassle of an interrogation, plus you have a complete ally with every intention of keeping the Empire intact and a being with utter loyalty to the Emperor. He must have somehow used the Force or some uncivilized method to twist it to his specific desires. Blasted! How could I have let that happen?"

"What do you mean?" She was clearly a bit befuddled. "You didn't even know about it until everyone else."

"I meant for me personally. It's not just a chance happening. Jay, they gave me the Emperor's Ally. That's how I know so much about what it does. I'm experiencing it. That's why the commanders suspended my missions. No one knows if I can be trusted."

The beautiful woman gasped slightly at the revelation, but grabbed his hands instantly.

"Qui-Gon, I give you my word that I'll do everything I can to find a cure. We'll find you a way out of this."

"I appreciate the thought, but you're the head surgeon. You have more important things to worry about. Don't concern yourself with such a little thing."

"But you're not a little thing. This Ally, or whatever, could be a considerable threat one day. What if they figure out a way to spread it over entire planets or ships? Decades of work and people could be ruined and the tides would be strictly in the Empire's favor. Besides, nothing is more important to me than you. If my job gets in the way, I'll quit. They…"

"You can't quit! They need you…more than you know. Doctors and scientists are what change the tides of war, not soldiers."

"What did I ever do without you?"

"Not much." Chuckling, he leaned in and kissed her nose before stealing one of her precious dainties. "We should visit Commander Skywalker after we're done here. I doubt living with a mechanical hand will be easy."

"He's in good hands for now (pardon the pun). My sister would rather die than leave him while on her turf, I think."

--

The nurse approached her patient as one of the medical droids tested the sensitivity of his new hand. When everything seemed to be in perfect order, she shooed the machine away to complete the work herself.

Larian had always been on the shy side, but her experience as a slave had left her nearly a blank slate before Jay had come to the rescue. For nearly half of the year her sister had been studying medicine, the girl had been frightened of everything, even her own shadow. The thought of being attracted to anyone without reliving her three years of horror had been unimaginable for her until Commander Skywalker had come along, so clearly overwhelmed and inexperienced in the vast galaxy.

She would have done anything to trade for the life he always begrudged in the quiet, uneventful outskirts of the Tatooine desert. To him, it was obviously a nightmare full of both dull and haunting memories; to her, it sounded like a dream come true, having always preferred a hot climate to cold.

The more she watched and listened to Luke, the fonder of him she had become. He was so naïve, yet so knowledgeable and caring. What she had not often noted, however, was that he was often so busy while in the infirmary trying to get out or planning his next mission that he rarely noticed her longing glances while bandaging some cut or broken bone. Had he not felt how soft her healing touch was in comparison with the other pathetic, pining nurses, or the admiration with which she spoke only to him?

The young woman felt a shiver of delight go up and down her spine when the commander smiled at her as she sealed the mechanical replacement, though he indifferently looked over to the nearby window even as she gave him a slight bat of her eyes. Was he blind or simply too above her to care? Her lack of self-confidence instantly made her honestly believe that she wasn't good enough for the young Jedi and her spirit sank with the thought.

"Kelly…Elaina! Did you say 'goodbye' to Lando?" Leia cried joyfully as the two women entered within seconds of each other. The blond stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing the title unfamiliar to Larian's ears, while Commander Kenobi simply burst out laughing.

"Oh, come on, El!" she chided through nearing tears of hilarity. "You didn't expect to keep your real name a secret after all that's happened, did you?"

"Actually," the unusually restrained Leia countered, "I can quite understand her desire for secrecy."

"Why? Now, I don't have to worry about messing up and saying her real name instead the fake one."

The princess shook her head in a defense which the abruptly introduced 'Elaina' didn't seem to appreciate much, staring intensely, but calmly, out the window.

"While I have known my entire life practically and everyone here understands her reasoning, our other leaders won't be nearly as understanding. They'll want to know what a historically revered and hated Enduring Warrior from the old order's Jedi council is doing hiding her identity among 'those who offer nothing but a friendly hand' they'll say. All they'll do is jump on her about her liability and how they can't trust someone who wasn't even honest about her name. And telling them that my parents were the ones who encouraged her to do it won't change anything."

"Aren't we negative?" Kelly smirked and positioned herself at Leia's side.

"What's an Enduring Warrior?" the until-then-quiet nurse asked, finished with Luke, who sat on the edge of the cot, examining the new attachment. Nearly everyone else seemed to roll their eyes at the simple question, but they had no chance to voice the objection.

"An Enduring Warrior is a man or woman, usually the latter, who possesses exceptional ability with the Force and an undocumented long life," Qui-Gon stated with a mechanically rehearsed description as he and Jay entered side-by-side. "I should know. My mom's one." Instantly, Kelly's face flushed. "What's with the history lesson?"

"With the potential vulnerability to the Emperor," Leia persisted, "and her capability, the others won't trust her anymore."

"Did I miss something?"

Larian was utterly confused and was about to ask for an explanation, but the general's interruption postponed it until another time.

"I think I'll take up that suggestion … I know how to resolve this."

"How?" Kelly sarcastically questioned. "Quit? Give me a break! You're more of a workaholic that I am."

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm thinking. I still have the responsibility to Leia that I've been neglecting and I can still go on missions, maybe even more often if I'm unlucky. I'm going to retire from my position as general of my unit. I'll still have a foot in the door, as it were, being Leia's bodyguard. The only thing I'll lose is an armload of responsibility. Besides…I know just the replacement to suggest."

"Luke, we're ready to take off," a voice suddenly buzzed from the small com in Luke's hand.

"Good luck, Lando," the boy replied.

"When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you."

"We'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine."

"Princess," he further stated, "we'll find Han. I promise. We'll all be working to get him out."

"Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal." The Wookie growled an affirmation into the link. "Take care, you two. May the Force be with you."

"Send Elaina my love." It was Elaina's turn to blush.

"I think she heard you."

To Larian's particular distress, the commander got up, walked to the window, and put his arm around Leia. He loved the princess! How could she possibly compete with that?! She could only imagine what it would be like to have Luke care about her in that magnitude. Leia simply took it for granted. What was she? A little shy mouse of a nurse who bandaged up his frequent injuries.

_Be grateful for what you have, face your fears, strive for the greatest achievement, learn all before you judge, live life to its fullest, do what you love, love with all your heart, don't let yourself be disappointed with life, respect your superiors, and never give up_: the words of her father.

--

Three days: that was how long it took for Kelly to gain a dispensation from her duties on the condition that she return either when Lando reported or in the case of emergency and for Elaina to 'retire', get replaced, and see that Leia was safe before they could put into action their plan for a decent getaway that happened to be on the same planet as where Lando was searching.

The mix of emotion the girls experienced upon stepping from the transport from a similarly stunning Naboo was indescribable by comparison. True, Kelly had lived on the planet recently for nearly twenty years, but even she hadn't seen Mos Espa since the Clone Wars, leaving the situation to be an utter surprise for both of them. There were more scum of the galaxy wandering the streets, but they sensed fewer slaves for a change.

The taller woman was wearing a black rawhide skirt with a like kind sleeveless, V-neck top, black slippers, and a burgundy shawl. It was quite evident that she was no longer accustomed to the boiling conditions as both she and her sister twitched uncomfortably in the blazing heat. Elaina, on the other hand, wore a pale blue, loose, halter neck dress, the neck of which created an 'X' across her chest, meeting with a stiff, semi-tight bodice that went straight around beneath her underarms. The flowing, ankle-length lower half and grey boots peeked out from an all-too-heavy-for-the-weather dark grey poncho. The chosen attire of both Jedi matched their contrasting appearances just as in the old days.

"So, uh, where exactly did you have in mind for us to stay?" Elaina queried, shifting the weight of her bags, one across her shoulder and the other in her hand. For a few moments, Kelly merely meandered around in leading her confused twin about, both of her cases being swung over her shoulder in one hand. Suddenly, Elaina stopped with a light-hearted chuckle, seeing right through Kelly's blank scan of the surroundings. Her sister turned around with a raised eyebrow. "You're lost aren't you?"

"No!" the girl denied, her voice an octave higher. "I'm just getting my bearings."

"She's lost… You're lost!" A few traders passing by paused to glimpse the conflict.

"I am not!"

"Of course you are! I've seen that look on your face more times than I care to count. You. Are. Lost." They scowled at each other for a moment, but they were on vacation. They couldn't exactly start a duel to the death over directions after what they had been through before. "Where were you planning on going, anyway?"

"It's a surprise." The blond nodded her head in the opposite direction.

"Follow me."

It being vacation, after all, the girls had a hard time passing up a small tavern with numerous cold drinks, but they equally resolved to go at a later time. Taking her turn in leading the way, Elaina wound her way through the packed streets as fast as she could until they came to a quieter, neighborhood-ish area, upon which Kelly gratefully slowed under the weight of her baggage. A delightful topic suddenly dawned on the brunette.

"El, I never again brought up my new ability that I tested on your romantic dinner: long-distance telekinetic communication," she bragged, exaggeratingly enunciating the final words.

"…which was quite annoying, by the way," her sibling pointed out, making a turn.

"Yoda taught me."

"Uh-huh…"

"Maybe I could teach you."

_I already know how,_ she said mentally, earning quite the jolt from Kelly.

"What?! You knew how and you didn't tell me? How long have you been able to do that?"

The shorter woman laughed at the younger lady's not-even-partially hidden aggravation of being beat…again!

"Decades ago, literally, when I was training with Yoda, he taught me telepathic communication just before I was raised to Knighthood. It goes hand-in-hand with connecting yourself with someone to sense if their injured or in any danger otherwise. I did that with Dad just before he died."

Kelly studied her twin's face.

"So, you really made up with him?"

"Yeah. I didn't imagine I would feel so relieved. What about you and Obi-Wan?"

"I think I'm finally content with being mortal to a certain extent and living with an immortal, dead husband." She giggled at the thought.

Smiling, Elaina looked ahead.

"We shall discuss this later." Then, her jaw dropped as a woman with blond hair, perhaps in her fifties or sixties, emerged from built-upon house. The previous slave hut had been given an extravagant remodel in evident expansion both vertically and horizontally. They would later discover that, with a scare of the growing smuggler and fugitive population, most of the neighbors had moved out years ago, leaving the property available to be bought and renovated to make room for the standing stone mansion and an attached orphanage.

"It seems we surprised each other," Kelly noted, similarly staggered until the old woman caught sight of them. Following a second of squint-eyed analysis, recognition appeared on the wholesome woman's face.

"Kelly-Fyn?!" she screeched, a well-worn grin spreading her features in the process of her racing towards the duo and embracing the younger girl. "Kelly-Fyn, I thought I'd never see you again! Don't you look fine? Oh, but introduce me to your friend!"

Elaina was baffled. Kelly, on the hand, though a bit surprised at the excellent memory of the widow in front of her, was joyfully content with an intro.

"I actually go by Kelly, now. Elaina, this is Aunt Sheleen." The girl was still confused even as the matron cuddled and kissed her on both cheeks. "She is Mom's sister."

Instantly, they were all practically in tears over the unexpectedly joyous family reunion.

Here, they didn't have to hide who they were and pretend to be something they were not. A long-earned sojourn was commencing.

"Elaina, Kelly, you must stay here with me for as long as you can. Keneth! Jules! Come meet your cousins!"

A moment later, a tall young man came from the house, soon followed by a pretty, dark woman emerging from the adjacent yard, tailed by a dozen or so laughing children.

"This is my son, Keneth, and his wife, Julie. My daughter, Kana, married a few years ago and lives across town. We were just about to start dinner."

Everyone, orphans and all, were amazingly enthusiastic about the women's news and adventures, making them the prime target for bedtime stories. Kelly and Elaina could never have imagined anything more perfect. From the prejudicial, demanding Rebellion leaders, they had escaped to where they felt truly needed and appreciated.

"Kelly," Elaina whispered later, "we're home."

Kelly could only nod in agreement.

Ah, doesn't it sound like a happily-ever-after ending. I almost wish I could end here with glorious personal peace for Kelly and Elaina, but the show must go on and galaxy is still in need of saving! Hope you enjoyed it!

Please review, vote, etc! Thanks for reading!


	27. Vendetta

From now on, **bold** is…well you'll find out. ;)

Even though the actual time that passes between the first and second movies is a year, I'm shortening it to about six months…

RyanDan's "Tears of an Angel" goes with scene 1, Rascal Flatts' "Moving On" is for scene 2, and Figgy Duff's "Henry Martin" is with scene 3 (this is another song that can be figuratively matched with the story, Vader being the title figure in the song and the two 'brothers' actually being Elaina and Kelly…oh, and the third, final scene includes all of the little flashbacks within it)…

Thanks DragonRider2000, Katie Ladmoore, and I love dance for your reviews!

Vendetta

"General, this had better be an emergency. I have a race that I plan to win back at vacation," Kelly whined, jumping down from the two-person shuttle that had been sent to fetch her. The aging gray man at the bottom of her little freefall just stoically looked at her upon her landing directly in front of him. "Sir, do you mind telling me what's going on? Nobody's panicking, so obviously the Empire hasn't found us."

"No," the dumb-sounding bass responded slowly. "Lando Calrissian has reported from Tatooine with the exact location of Captain Solo; but that is not the main reason you were recalled."

"What is, then?"

"No one knows. Dr. Erassa said that it was of vital importance; however, there are several…"

The commander dashed off before the chunky superior could finish his monologue. If Jay said that something was important enough to drag her potentially future mother-in-law from a singularly long down time, it was important.

"Qui-Gon!" she called to her son upon suddenly encountering him in the long white hall. The young man turned, evidently surprised.

"Mother! I…"

"What's going on with Jay?"

"I don't know. She hasn't talked to me for more than two days. I'm getting a little worried. I even sprained my wrist to get her attention and she barely blinked! The closest thing she's ever done to this was last month when we fought over her possible transfer to one of the other command ships…and that only lasted an hour."

"All right…good to see you."

He grinned handsomely as she ran off.

"Oh, congratulations on yo…" She was too far to hear the rest.

When she trotted into the lab within the infirmary, Jay looked up from her mess of tools, looking quite strained with her normally perfectly separated black and blond hair mixing into an unkempt knot pulled into a quick half-collapsing bun. Faint circles under her eyes told of the sleep deprived of her through the evident problem.

"Jay, what's wrong?" the brunette asked with growing concern, skirting the full, but organized metal table to confront the younger girl. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine." She sniffed and tried to casually scratch her nose with a sleeve-covered arm. "It's Qui-Gon. Just after his missions were suspended, he told me from experience what the Emperor's Ally does. That gave me a bit of leverage in studying and understanding it more…so, I was able to scrape up what we had left of that pure sample from a few years back and, since I've had a lot of extra time this past month, examine it to a greater extent."

"Do you mind getting to the point, Doctor?"

"The Ally creates an alternate personality…basically an 'ally' of the Emperor. What we didn't connect before is that once it establishes that personality, the drug wears away since the Ally itself no longer needs the chemical support. It bonds with the mind and basically uses the part of our consciousness which is distracted and weakened by the initial confusion, hallucinations, etc. and takes over as it can." Kelly was blankly staring at the surgeon, trying to grasp the mouthy explanation. As if it would help, Jay offered a nearby microscope. She looked, but the queer dots inside did nothing to clarify, and yet the other woman acted as if it made perfect sense.

"Jay…the -ologies were never my strong point."

"It never goes away." The blank stare continued. Her ears were ringing with disbelief. "Imagine permanently having another person in your body with you, fighting for both the information you possess and the body itself."

"If it never went away, then why did Qui-Gon come so easy when he had seemed so…possessed, from what I heard?"

"There are two options: either my appearance and the emotional shock of it enabled him to overcome the Ally and push it into the background for now at least…"

"Or?"

She sighed.

"…or the Ally used him to infiltrate the Rebellion and has been there ever since, whether to his knowledge or not."

"What can we do? How can we stop it?"

"I don't know, General. I'm honestly clueless as to how I should continue."

--

Elaina scrubbed away at a large earthen bowl which happened to have dried porridge stuck to its sides. Her baggy, long-sleeved, white U-neck shirt and well-fitting sandy brown pants were spotted with water and soap suds, leaving her deep brown boots the only part of her untouched by the signs of housework. Not even her hair, which had been allowed to grow just past her shoulders for the first time in over twenty years, was left unmarked as she could even hear the soap bubbles popping here and there above her ears.

Having kept her hair from growing much for that long, she hadn't realized the last change her appearance had taken on following Order 66. It was completely blond with perhaps a few darker highlights, straight, and, most noticeably, not nearly as thick as in the past. Of all modifications due to her being an Enduring Warrior, this was the most shocking and, frankly, unpleasant. She had always been so proud of her wavy, thick locks, and, apparently ever since Order 66, it had changed.

"Elaina," the five or six-year-old orphan girl sitting at her feet near the sink began, "I heard that you're a leader of the Rebellion." Her little tongue tripped uncertainly over the big word. Many of the children in the house orphanage had seen, heard, and experienced things which didn't normally occur until years beyond their own. "You tell people what to do. They listen. Why are you here? Why are you so nice to us?"

The woman stopped pumping water and looked down at the observant, yet commonly misled, child as she poked at a soap bubble on the rock floor. So many people who had heard of, if not lived with, the tyranny of the Empire assumed from their observances that all leaders were selfish, power-hungry, and cruel to some extent. Elaina knelt down to speak face to face with the questioner.

"This is my home, Kiara. I grew up in this house before it was changed for you."

"But why are you so nice?"

"Why are some people mean?"

The darling girl pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"…because they didn't have someone to care about them?"

"Many don't, but others are simply mean by nature."

**Oh yeah, that's original…**

"You haven't answered my question."

"People like me…have seen what they don't want to be like and decided to be different. People like me have good, kind, wise people who showed them how to be kind and wise."

**I think I'm getting emotional.**

"Kiara!" a woman's voice called.

"I gotta go," the girl stated guiltily, getting up and racing off. "Thanks, El!"

Elaina stood and went back to the dishes, contemplating her inevitably approaching departure. It was nice spending so much time doing nothing but care for the orphans, help around the house, and run around the desert with her sister, but it was undeniably not her permanent calling.

**You know, you really need to brush up on your 'parent talk'. It makes me sleepy.**

_Maybe you should try it next time. Instead of running off saying 'thank you', she'd be crying. Ha! The next time I let you take over a conversation is the day we're in my grave._

**I could arrange that.**

_You're terrible at bluffing._

**Nobody's perfect.**

The blond growled at the persistently stubborn crumbs on the plate. A few quiet minutes went by as she tried to figure out what her friends' plan would be for getting into Jabba the Hutt's residence…wherever on Tatooine that was. They couldn't exactly go knocking on the door…there were always the sewage pipes. Then again, she would rather die than crawl through one of those filthy tubes again.

**Booooring!**

She shook her head in annoyance.

_Does anything amuse you other than causing me pain in mental or physical way?_

**Nope. Hey, can I get access to your memories concerning Enduring Warriors? I want to see what you can…**

_No._

**Why not?**

_No._

**You're no fun.**

"Elaina!"

She whirled around, her jaw dropping with the pleasant surprise.

"Lando!"

The way he was dressed, the man looked like a rough and tough bounty hunter. Only the childish smile completely ruined the label. Frankly, he looked absolutely…

**You're just pathetic.**

Ignoring the voice, she ran towards Lando and jumped into his welcoming arms.

"I see the little housemaid is happy to see me. Two months and I nearly forgot the enchantment of your eyes."

**Blah, blah, blah…**

Elaina giggled slightly.

"So, you found Jabba and infiltrated his fortress in the face of all opposition, have you?"

He set her down and walked to the small wooden table in the corner, plopping exhaustedly into a chair while Elaina went to fetch a cup of cool water.

"The first thing was accomplished easily enough after I finally got the right coordinates in that bloody desert. The second…not so easy. Jabba says that, while he finds me 'worthy of recognition', I need to bring in a bounty before he'll allow me into his inner circle."

"Well, that's simple enough. There are plenty of bounties out there."

"But he asked for one specifically. Have you ever heard of an Elaina Kalonya?"

She stared blankly at the table's wood grain. Did she ever encounter Jabba before? She distinctly remembered going under cover in the domain of a Hutt, but in order to remember if it was Jabba, she would have to let down her defense, allowing both her and the other access.

"That's the name I went by for a while."

He coughed on the water.

"You?!"

"He must have sort of personal revenge thing going on. At least your search was short."

--

_"I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy," Padme noted. Anakin observantly looked around the table at the conversation, but his eyes kept coming back to the speaker. "The Republic's anti-slavery laws…"_

_"The Republic doesn't exist out here," Shmi interrupted. "We must survive on our own."_

_"Maybe I could help. I was actually able to…" Kelly began, only to quickly cut off as the older girl gave her a death glare. They clearly thought that no one had seen the check; however, the boy was well aware of it and wondered as to the reason._

_--_

_"Now you can make your dreams come true, Annie. You're free," Shmi said matter-of-factly prior to turning to Qui-Gon. "Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?"_

_"Yes, our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident," was the answer._

_"You mean I get to come with you in your starship?!" Anakin asked._

_Before responding, the Jedi knelt down._

_"Anakin, training to be a Jedi will not be an easy challenge. And, if you succeed, it's a hard life."_

_"But I want to go! It's what I've always dreamed of doing. Can I go, Mom?"_

_"Anakin," the older woman replied, taking her son's hand, "this path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone."_

_"I wanna do it."_

_"Then, pack your things," Qui-Gon finalized, sending Anakin running to his room. "We haven't much time."_

_"Yippee!" Then, he paused. "What about Mom? Is she free too?"_

_"I tried to free your mother, Annie, but Watto wouldn't have it."_

_"You're coming with us, aren't you, Mom?"_

_--_

_"I made this for you," Anakin said to the maid as he handed her a wooden pendant. "So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet. It will bring you good fortune."_

_"It's beautiful," the girl said, "but I don't need this to remember you by. Many things will change when we reach the capital, Annie. My caring for you will always remain."_

_"I care for you too. Only I…"_

_"You miss your mother."_

_"Well, Annie," Kelly-Fyn interrupted, "you're not the only one who has gone through that. When I left Tatooine with my sister, I missed my family too."_

_--_

_"No!?" both Qui-Gon and Kelly-Fyn exclaimed. Anakin glared resentfully at the surrounding Jedi Masters."He's too old."_

_"He __is__ the Chosen One…you must see it!"_

_"Clouded, this boy's future is," Yoda hummed. A calming effect took place in Qui-Gon's hands on his shoulders. _

_"I will train him, then. I take Anakin as my padawan learner._

_--_

_"I haven't seen her in ten years, Master."_

_"Who? There are a few girls you haven't seen in a while."_

_"Padme…who else could I be talking about?"_

_"Well, the Kalonya sisters, for example…oh, right, it would only be the older of the two. I remember going on a mission with Kelly-Fyn…was that four years ago, now?"_

_"I always thought that you and Kelly…or Elaina would…you know."_

_"You should know that we are not allowed to have such relationships, Anakin. I must have taught that lesson to you at least ten times by now."_

_"Sorry, Master."_

_--_

_"You look tired."_

_"I don't sleep well, anymore," the boy replied._

_"Because of your mother?"_

_"I don't know why I keep dreaming about her."_

_"Dreams pass in time."_

_"Ha, I wish," Kelly suddenly stated._

_"What do you mean?" Elaina asked, evidently concerned for her sister._

_"Anakin, is it like seeing something that is happening or will happen…and incredibly realistic?"_

_Both Elaina and Obi-Wan were looking, slightly bewildered, between their companions, though the other two were quite contained._

_--_

_"Thank you, your Excellency," the boy said. Kelly courteously muttered her own thanks. He had to admit, it was a bit strange how the young woman seemed so uptight around the Council, yet totally opposite around the Chancellor…what was he thinking? He was exactly the same._

_"So, they've finally given you an assignment. Your patience has paid off."_

_"Your guidance more than my patience."_

_"I might say the same thing," Kelly-Fyn suddenly added as they turned from the window._

_"You don't need guidance, either of you," Palpatine countered. "In time, you will learn to trust your feelings. Then, you will be invincible. I have said it many times: you two are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met."_

_"Thank you, your Excellency," both of the young people replied._

_--_

_"Me? Us? Masters? I am overwhelmed, Sir, but the Council elects its own members. They will never accept this."_

_"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Kelly also put in, approaching them, "but I have to agree. They won't be too happy to be told what to do. They never have been."_

_"Oh, I think they will," Palpatine corrected confidently, thereby encouraging his voluntary students. "They need you…more than you know."_

_"You really want us as your representatives?!"_

_"I can't think of anyone I'd rather have be my voice. Besides, I have the feeling that there are one or two seats on the Council recently become available for filling."_

_--_

_"Henceforth," Palpatine…or Sidious, as he was really, announced, "you shall be known as Darth…Vader."_

_Anakin was practically drunk with the dark emotions as he replied._

_"Thank you, my Master."_

_"Rise. Come now, Darth Raina! Are you not going to congratulate our new associate?"_

_"What about the rule of __two__, Master?" Kelly…or Raina queried, temporarily shocking Anakin…Vader out of his stupor as he stood. She was a Sith and no one had noticed?_

_"Those archaic laws are pointless. This is a new generation of Sith lords! The more of us there are, the more powerful we will be and the closer we will be to saving the ones you and your brother love, both from death itself. The Jedi's treachery, however, will make things more difficult, though not impossible. Because the Council does not trust either of you, my young apprentices, I believe you are the only Jedi with no knowledge of this plot. When the Jedi learn what has transpired here, they will kill us, along with all the senators."_

_"I agree," Vader put in willingly. "The Jedi's next move will be against the Senate."_

_"Every single Jedi, including your friends, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Elaina Jinn, are now enemies of the Republic."_

_--_

_"Kelly," the senator tried, quivering with tortured despair, "don't tell me you're with him on this!"_

_With a defining smirk, the older woman replied with untimely smoothness,_

_"I'm a little perturbed about him overthrowing the Chancellor, but, aside from that, yes. The war is at an end because of what Anakin and I have done to make it so. The pesky Separatists have met their demise and the droids are no longer functional. Peace reigns."_

_"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Padme murmured, backing away from Anakin in horror. "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed!"_

_--_

_He could barely hear Obi-Wan's voice through the pain and anger._

"_You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!" He hardly sensed the agony in his former Master's voice._

"_I hate you!" he screamed._

"_You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you!"_

_--_

"_You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."_

_--_

"_Why, Anakin?"_

Vader was shaken out of reminiscence as the Emperor, who was walking beside him, spoke thoughtfully.

"It seems as though your sisters are determined to make this more difficult than necessary."

"How shall we proceed in detaining them? Do you still wish for Kelly Kenobi's death?"

The shorter man looked away in deep reflection for a moment.

"Bring Kelly to me at all costs, dead or alive. She has caused our rule a great amount of unnecessary problems. As for Elaina…she will come to us in her own time. I have assurances for that. Then, Lord Vader, you will have your revenge for what they took from you."

"The Ally may be effective, but Elaina is strong. And Kelly will be incredibly difficult to capture, if I know her at all."

"Kelly will eventually succumb…and the Ally will have nothing to do with Elaina's submission. With two Enduring Warriors on our side, we will…unstoppable."

"And the others?"

"Other than your son and nephew, the rest are of little consequence. Which brings to mind: did you ever discover the reason of Qui-Gon Kenobi's treachery?"

A slight pause took effect.

"I did not."

"If a person was responsible for it, that person may also make a great advantage in returning him. Only a grand and learned influence could have suppressed the Ally like that. Find out who was responsible. They may be the key to all of our queries."

"Yes, my Master."

_"I don't know you anymore," Padme cried. "Anakin…you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I can't follow!"_

Well, as usual, I hope you enjoyed this update and that you'll review. :) Thanks!


	28. Preparation

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

Sorry for the delay! I'm trying to cram the end of a school year and keep up with this at the same time...and we all know what unfortunately has to come first. :P

I'm in no mood to go scraping around trying to illustrate Jabba's mumbo jumbo, SO the lines which are underlined are going to be in his language.

Keyshia Cole's "Heaven Sent" is with scene 1…

Preparation

Silence. No one was there to disturb the rare moment of peace in the spacious room. Only a single, still figure inhabited the compartment at the time. After a few more seconds, a pair of small, pale feet soundlessly glided over to the peculiar machine attached to the wall which had been acquired on a host planet quite some time ago.

With frequently repeated calm, the girl walked to the middle of the floor, closed her eyes, and let her body completely relax. Her rather tight, but respectably low, gray top and slighter darker, light, shin-high skirt limply complimented her figure.

As the uncommon music began emanating from the machine, her feet began moving gracefully in time with the beat. As it heightened in volume, her hands twirled with practiced grace and, a moment later, her hips joined. Promptly, her whole being was one with the music. Her body stretched into unbelievable contortions which would snapped anyone else's back in half.

It could have been two minutes or an hour, more than likely, but it seemed surprisingly soon that her composed form became covered with a glimmering sheen of sweat. Still, she danced on. In fact, she didn't notice the person standing in the doorway until after the final tune concluded and she went back to fetch her towel, freezing in her tracks while turning to go, towel over shoulder.

"Commander Skywalker!" Larian cried, blushing when she thought of how long he could have been standing there without her knowledge.

Looking a bit surprised, whether from being caught or for some other reason, the young man walked towards her while she began 'casually' wiping the sweat from her neck.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?" he queried. There wasn't anything particularly catching about his voice, but it still made her knees feel weak. In response to the question, the girl merely shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably at first, looking away.

"Dancing was all I cared about as a child. My passion for that was the only reason my father stopped spouting about having two girls in the Imperial Academy. Honestly, Jak and I would have rather died than go to that place Jay seemed so obsessed with for so long. After Jay's promotion…"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted. "I…heard about what happened. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She cocked her, her face practically blank of emotion.

"After Jay's promotion, I was going to the dance academy on Naboo; instead, I was taken by the slavers." With slight gruffness, she sat down and started putting her shoes on, a spiteful edge pervading her sweet voice. "I can tell you that I got plenty of practice then. It's funny how that worked out: my passion was dancing; I learned just as much as a slave as I would have at the academy…perhaps an even larger repertoire."

"Larian…" She narrowed her eyes at his hesitance. "Did you ever consider coming with us?" Her eyes brightened.

"I think not," the chief surgeon voiced, suddenly entering the room with Kelly, carrying several rolls of paper that were probably maps.

"But I want to go!" the nurse protested, resisting the urge to stamp her foot like a toddler.

"No. You can hardly stand up to me in a spar. What makes you think you're fit to survive undercover, as a slave no less?" Jay drawled out, having argued over such a point several times in the past.

"Jay, it's been...what, five years now? I'm a grown woman! Can't you give me a little credit?"

"You're alive. Isn't that credit enough?" Kelly began setting maps out on the table, though she finally voiced her own opinion.

"Jay," she said, "are you sure she's not ready? We could use another person on the inside. Every bit helps."

The doctor glanced around.

"No. I have patients to take care of…so does Larian. Are you forgetting your responsibilities?"

The girl glowered.

"No," she muttered, stalking towards the exit and smartly throwing her towel into a basket nearby.

--

The peculiar speeder streaked across the sand as the sun peaked over the horizon. Neither of its two occupants knew whether to chat and laugh or keep the silence, however awkward it was starting to be. Lando chuckled at his companion as she grimly frowned, pulling down on her well-fitting black top that went with the similar pants. A slightly heated argument had ensued over bringing her beloved gun belt along only to have confiscated by Jabba. Lando had won and its owner had her arms tightly folded around it.

"Something wrong?"

She ignored the question, seeing that they both knew the problem.

"I still can't see why I couldn't just leave it at the house or something. All they're going to do is take it from me…then, I may never see it again."

"El, I promise I'll get it back for you. It's only for the show of it. I captured you, took your weapon, and brought both to Jabba for the bounty."

She scowled for a moment before accepting the inevitable, giving him a satisfactorily congenial smile while swiping the pin-straight hair out of her face. Elaina could gripe about the 'new' style all she wanted, but he actually thought that it brought out her large, sapphire eyes more than ever.

--

The blond casually secured the shackles onto her wrists as the speeder slowed to a stop in front of the gloomy building.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Lando asked with far more concern than necessary.

"Yeah, I'm good," she replied, nodding vaguely. "I just have sort of a feeling of…déjà vu. It's happening more and more, but I haven't come even close to figuring out why." Suddenly, she shot the man an evil grin. "Let the games begin."

Sure, she let him grab the short chain and walked casually enough to the door. After the little greeting eye popped out, however, it was a whole different story. When the door opened, Lando practically had to drag the emerged demon.

"Let go of me!" she cried. "Please, I'll pay you anything! That bar I was in was a rare stop. I promise I'll never drink again. Come on!"

By the time she was done with the rant, they were already being escorted towards the end of the hall by some queer pig-like creatures. They obviously didn't take her struggle as a mere ruse, grabbing her arms to still her while Lando continued leading by the chain. Once inside the main hall, the beast calmed down to stare at the dancing, drinking, talking mass of bodies. The space was dark and filled with a well-spread coat of smoke. Since there was no way she could 'escape' at this point, Elaina allowed herself to be shoved to the front of the room. One figure stood out among all the rest.

"Jabba! You two-faced, slimy grease peddler. What's new?"

"Elaina Kalonya! Decades of fruitless searching and one lowly bounty hunter brought you all the way back from your thieving circle."

"Actually, it's Jinn…Aylana Jinn."

The disgusting creature leaned forward as far as his enormous waistline would allow.

"Too bad your hair is not as long as it once was. I had _special_ attire planned for you just to show my appreciation for your exodus and for stealing my best dancer. We will have make do with an…alternate design."

It finally clicked as to where she had seen Jabba before: right before the Clone Wars, she and Aayla had gone undercover in one of his other hideouts. A few hours prior, the girl had unlocked her memories for both herself and the other.

"Jabba…now I remember. Well, since we're such good friends, I'll admit that Aylana isn't my real name." He looked at her expectantly. "It's Oyyana…Jillian Oyyana. That's with two y's."

He sneered.

"What were you thinking?" Obviously, the Hutt was still dwelling on her previous getaway, but…

"I was actually thinking of retiring, but…boy, is that over-rated? I mean, it's not that I'm really a workaholic or anything, but…I like to stay active… It's a health thing…"

"Make our latest addition comfortable." With that, three stenchy women proceeded to yank her towards a small door behind the Hutt. "Welcome…"

That was all she heard before the thick gate shut behind her. The women shoved her off to an adjacent room filled with clothes, jewelry, and chains of all kinds and colors. A bare few caught Elaina's eye as decent; however, the garment promptly thrown onto the couch made her want to blanch.

"Put on," the oldest matron ordered, leading her troop out, only to obviously stand guard outside.

The Jedi looked acidly at the cloth. It was deep orange, the fabric itself being incredibly light. Technically, that needed to be plural.

"Well, that went well," Lando suddenly pointed out from behind, closing the door. In response, she sat down on top of the garment with all possible haste. "Something wrong?" She sucked her cheeks in.

"No, nothing at all!"

"I only understood half of what Jabba said...and only because of the crash course you gave me in Huttese last month. But, I'm personally wondering what this 'alternate design' is."

**Ah! Finally something more ****my**** style.**

_Oh, I was enjoying you not pestering me._

**Oh, you missed me? I was sifting through some of the memories recently offered to me.**

_I did not offer them to you. I…_

**Something I found rather interesting was your emotions during the battle where you fully lost the only man you truly loved. Your attempted affection for this gambler is admirable, but…**

_Don't even dare assume that my love for Lando is…_

"Elaina, are you all right?" The man had knelt down beside her as she grimaced at the internal conversation she was having; however, she shook her head in relief at the interruption. "Is it that Ally thing again?" The blond snapped her eyes to stare at him in the dim light.

"How did you know about her?"

"I overheard a few conversations and scraped some information from members of the Rebellion. It was only a guess, but figured that it was the reason you dazed off so frequently."

"Ah."

With that, Lando stood and moved towards the door.

"I look forward to seeing the new look." He paused. "Oh, and she really needs a name…for convenience, if nothing else."

The woman chuckled after he left while struggling into the close-fitting garb. Her subtle mirth, however, was promptly cut short upon seeing that it completely exposed her slim abdomen, not to mention most of her legs, her arms completely, and her chest slightly beyond her normal limit. With a slight groan into the full-size mirror leaning against the wall, she frantically started sifting through the piles of cloth strewn about on the couches. She jerked up when another woman suddenly appeared next to her.

Her face was almost identical to Elaina's and she was the same height, the same weight; however, her eyes were a flaming red and her hair was the deepest shade of brown possible. When the figure spoke, she no longer heard it in her head, but just as if it was truly another person.

_The Ally? Is it you?_

"**Stop gaping like cave rat. And please, don't try talking to me with your mind. I've grown beyond that,**" the entity chided with a defining smirk.

Finally adjusted to the new occurrence, Elaina returned to the fabrics as casually as possible.

"Lando's right. You really need a name."

--

"As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids. Both are hard-working and will serve you well," Luke finished. R2 observantly saw that he was done with the message and switched his recorder off before rolling out of the room, whistling wistfully. "So, you said that you haven't seen Lando for nearly a month?"

Kelly casually glanced up from polishing her already gleaming lightsaber. Why was it that nothing ever seemed to ruffle her feathers?

"That's what I said," she replied, yawning. She grinned at his perplexed stare. "Elaina and Lando try to act like they don't spend every moment possible together by separating those long moments by long weeks of his being in pursuit of Han." She laughed. "She has no idea! El is so alarmed by her feelings that she stares at the wall half the time I'm talking to her about the possible plans."

Luke nodded curtly.

"We'll leave tomorrow afternoon for Tatooine, send 3PO and R2, wait another day, and then follow."

"Good plan."

There was a pause as she just continued cleaning.

"Are you worried about this at all?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I haven't seen Lando in months and the only news I heard of him was his transmission last week with Jabba's coordinates, saying that he was about to secure a place in the Hutt's palace. Look, I know you've had six months of nothing but fun and relaxation, but you have to wonder a little at the circumstances."

"My dear nephew," she began, "after over three decades of nothing but missions, wars, and worry, this is a piece of cake! This little venture has nothing to do with Vader or the Empire. It's a basic rescue mission. If I ever worry during this trip, it'll be in the rare event that all does not go quite as planned. Remember: you and I are the backup. Leia will probably have Han out and recuperating in Mos Espa by the time we're ready!"

The boy sighed in aggravation. It was perfectly wonderful having someone so experienced to watch his back, but it, frankly, was annoying for her act so casual about such a serious situation. To avoid angering himself, he changed the subject.

"After Han is safe, how do you think we should proceed with the Empire?"

With that, the woman loudly sucked in the air.

"Can we not talk about that?" It was his turn to laugh.

"What was my father like?"

She paused again, but didn't object. Instead, after a moment, Kelly set her weapon down and swung around on the swivel chair to completely face him.

"Why are you asking this now, when you could have years ago?"

"No particular reason…"

He cringed when her eyes narrowed in disbelief, though she surprised him by not digging deeper.

"My brother was…" Luke sat down across the nearby table when his aunt paused. "He... As a small boy, Anakin was a sweet and caring person. He thought nothing of himself. When he grew to about your age, I look back and find it almost laughable how he chased after your mother, trying to win her favor. Ah, he had such conflicting emotions during those years, especially after our mom…" With that, Kelly stopped her train of thought altogether, to the boy's disappointment. "A few years after that, he was renowned throughout the galaxy for his talents.

"Then he met Vader and his demise." A heartless laugh escaped her lips. "We, the Jedi, had always believed him to be the prophesied Chosen One, the one who would bring balance to the Force and set everything right. Turns out, we were one generation ahead of ourselves. Now, you're here and the end of the Empire is quickly approaching, thanks to you."

That's when he did a double take.

"You think I'm this 'Chosen One'?!"

As before, she was undisturbed.

"It's perfectly clear. The light has sprung from the darkness. You are the Chosen One, however Elaina may argue that point."

"She doesn't think so?"

"El was always a skeptic."

--

Finally settling down with a pilfered needle, thread, and a piece of the thickest sheer white fabric she could find, Elaina grabbed her previously worn pants and retrieved the hidden ring from its waistline prior to trying to figure out the method of her alteration. Having exchanged the skimpy top in her hand for her shirt, she was able to study the seam further, mentally thanking her sister for the painstaking sewing classes.

"_Hey, Kelly, before you leave!" _

"_Yeah?" the brunette questioned, stopping her moody march to the outskirts where the Rebellion pilot had said his ship was waiting. Elaina ran up to her sister, not at all flustered like her twin about the single recall._

"_That ring Obi-Wan gave you…you can put memories in it, right?"_

_The taller woman looked slightly skeptical for a few seconds before looking down at the plain little loop on her finger._

"_Yeah…I can put memories in it, relive the memories already there…I could even put little messages for myself like one of our recorders in the old days (just think record and put it down where you want the image to be visualized)…but, I never use that." Again, she incredulously looked towards her sister. "Why?"_

"_I was wondering if __I__ could put something on it…just for some, uh…variety?"_

_Kelly obviously didn't like the idea of being parted with her beloved trinket, but removed and handed it over anyway._

"_You lose it, you die."_

"_Got it!"_

"**Ha! I remember the face she gave…priceless!**" the thing cried, full of mirth as she bent down to study the jewelry strewn across the floor. Then, she looked at her host. "**Oh, fine, ignore me!**"

Elaina laughed at how her own skepticism had rubbed off onto that girl. And she had no idea.

Convinced that she had thought 'record' hard enough, she set the ring on another cushion in front of her and started the first stitches of her adjustments. She had already told the women outside that there were some sizing issues in need of some help and that she could do it herself…

"Hey, Kelly. If you never see this…"

Hehe…I went a bit Stargate/O'Neill-crazy for a while there. Thanks for reading and please review!


	29. The Weight of Guilt

Thanks I love dance, Katie Ladmoore, and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Sarah McLachlan's "Home" goes w/ scene 1…

The Weight of Guilt

_It was the proudest moment of her life. No longer could her father say that she hadn't tried hard enough. She was reaching for the greatest achievement and the two people whose approval she had always cared about the most were there to watch her take the biggest step up in her life. They would both be proud of her: her father and the Emperor. She didn't need her former field commander to tell her that…and he was standing right in front of her with his hands on her shoulders._

_They were in the little hall just outside of the grand room in the Imperial Palace where her promotion as leader of the future Emperor's Royal Guard, a replacement of the old, stormtrooper-based organization, was to take place in but moments._

"_Are you sure this is what you want?" the strangely favored clone queried. Commander Trey, as the normal folks called him, while a clone and merely a promoted stormtrooper, had always been different from the other high-ranking soldiers of the Empire. It was as if he had broken away from the usual attitudes of his kind. He was unique, caring, rebellious. Other commanders had attacked him for his exceptional tactics, trying to get him 'excused' from the force, but his methods always paid off and the only he was earning was a promotion. Still, there was something more, beyond his characteristics…_

"_Sir, why do you ask?" she replied, putting her hands over his outstretched arms. "This is what I've been working towards for years! Of course it's what I want!"_

_His eyes bored into hers with strange intensity._

"_It's what the Emperor has trained you for."_

"_Pshaw! I've dreamed of being this favored since I was ten."_

"_Your father taught you that." Not once did he raise his voice._

"_What are you getting at, Trey?"_

"_You have been trained, like me, to be a killer…completely obedient to the Emperor. But I know that, deep down, you don't believe in this Empire as much as you show."_

"_What are you saying?" she hissed. "Talk like that would get you killed on the spot if it was anyone but me standing here."_

"_Those words alone confirm my suspicions."_

"_Why are you telling me this?"_

"_Both of us believe in freedom for this galaxy…but only you have the choice to help it be that way. There is a group called the Rebellion. Their goal is to destroy the Empire and free the galaxy of its tyranny. There's a contact here named…" With a silent gasp, he fell to his knees._

"_Excellent distraction, Jaylyn," the head of the Academy standing about fifteen feet away noted, lowering his gun and offering it to her. "I knew that my training would pay off someday if you ever confronted with a traitor such as this. Please, take the honors…I insist." _

_The tall man's black eyes seemed to mock her, testing her loyalty to her father, the Emperor, and her own expectations. But, at the same time, her friend's life was in her hands._

"_Jay," Trey whispered, barely audible. Her lips parted with dread of the choice. "It's all right."_

_Suddenly, the woman hardened, took out her gun, and killed the man who had been her mentor, her ground, and more of a father to her than the real one had ever been. _

"_Yes, you will do," the teacher smirked. "They're ready for you. Everyone is waiting, including your parents."_

_Stoically, the girl replaced her weapon, stepped over her fallen comrade's body, and walked through the door into the filled room. A bright red carpet had been spread across the expanse between her doorway and the black throne which held the Emperor himself. Several of his subordinates stood at his sides and, a little further off, her parents and brother were waiting. She couldn't bring herself to look at her father. _

"_Are you sure this is what you want?" he had asked an hour before._

"_It's what I've worked for my whole life, thanks to you. I'm not about to let it slip through my fingers," she had told him before walking away to prepare. Her sister wasn't there due to illness. At least someone had an excuse for being out of sorts._

_Jaylyn knelt about ten feet away from her supreme commander, who stood a moment later and slowly walked towards her. _

"_Today," he began, his voice echoing through the room, "not only do we begin the legendary career of one of our finest members; we initiate the coming of a new time with a more secure environment." It was strange how the crowds always erupted with cheers every time he opened his mouth, but it didn't matter this time. She tried not to grin at the achievement she was making. "This is the beginning of the true peace which I promised at the start of this fruitful reign. From this new Guard will spring a better, safer, and more efficient method of protection for those loyal to the Empire. They will be trained and led by the best and most devoted warrior I have ever encountered. Rise, Commander Erassa." The newly-promoted officer obeyed, somewhat relieved that the ceremony of it all was over. Now, few could stand in her way of doing things how she wanted. At least, she thought it was over…_

"_There is but one more test necessary to prove that you will support me in all my judgment." She looked at him expectantly. Nothing like this had ever been done before. You knelt, a speech of varying length was given, the person in charge, the Emperor in this case, told you to rise with your new title, you were given your medal, got drunk, woke up the next morning with a nail in your head and wool on your tongue, and dragged yourself to your new duties the morning after._

_All of a sudden, over a dozen stormtroopers came out of nowhere and surrounded her most alarmed family. Jay's eyes widened when Palpatine smoothly motioned to them with his hand. "Kill them."_

_She coughed, the sound seeming incredibly loud in the room which was momentarily so silent that a pin could be heard dropping._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_They are traitors to the Empire," he ordered, feathers ruffling. "Kill them __now__!"_

_Silence._

_Her fingers went to her belt, squeezing the handle of her standard issue laser pistol. Her eyes went from the Emperor to her family to the guards and back again. It wasn't a question of the action being worth the risk. She knew what she had to do…but it would change her life to an unfathomable extent, if not ruin it completely._

"_Well?"_

_She took a deep breath._

"_Eat sewer rat fodder."_

_Chaos erupted. In a flash, the Emperor motioned to the guards, she snagged a nearby gun in addition to her own, shots rang out, the Emperor disappeared, the crowd fled, she fell backwards to avoid a shot, pain seared through her face, everywhere she looked, there were more soldiers in white, and her mind was numb. _

_In a few minutes, it was all over. She didn't know how, but all of the stormtroopers were dead, as well as a few bystanders from crossfire. She barely noticed the three dark figures on the side, discreetly slipping out the door as they replaced their own discharged firearms._

"_Mom!" she gasped breathlessly, ignoring the burning agony of the yet unseen head wound, stumbling towards three of the many fallen bodies. Both her mother and brother had obviously been killed instantly, but a faint whisper caught her ear. "Dad!" Jay knelt down beside her estranged father as he struggled for life. "Dad, I'm so sorry…if I had known…"_

"_Now you do."_

"_What?"_

"_I can die at least knowing that my mistake will not be yours. Find your sister. Find freedom. Live free."_

_Panic overcame her before she realized that she had to get out if she was to live to find Larian._

Dr. Erassa jolted upright in her office chair, rubbing her scar.

"What a nightmare…"

Getting up, she walked into the main infirmary…but something seemed off.

"Anise, where's Larian? I thought she had a shift today."

The middle-aged nurse tapped the computer a few times.

"Hmm, you're right. She was supposed to be here two hours ago."

It suddenly dawned on her.

--

Leia opened the chest containing her bounty hunter gear and lifted the stuffy helmet out from its depths, only to drop it and walk to the doorway. She understood perfectly now why Elaina and Kelly had been so reluctant leave this place. While the bulk of Mos Espa was a thriving breeder of filth, the grounds in and around the orphanage were a peaceful sanctuary. Elaina had emphasized that greatly before she and her companion had left.

The Wookie's worried whine behind her caught the princess' attention.

"I'm fine, Chewie. I'll be ready by tomorrow and we can go tomorrow night as planned." He obviously didn't believe that she was completely fine as he brought her into an enveloping hug. "I'm worried about this rescue mission. I don't know if I can pull it off. Yes, I have you, but still… I'm nervous." The communicator on the bed beeped. "Yes?"

"Leia, it's Kelly. You sure you're up for this?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You send the droids in tomorrow morning, and then I'll go in the night. If I'm not back by the next morning…you know where to find me."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine! You can do this. Over and out."

--

Kelly switched the communicator off.

"She can't do this."

"We both knew the risks when we let her go. She would have killed you on the spot if you had refused," Luke said, grunting as he lifted another case into the little cargo hold of the small transport ship they were taking. "You sure this ol' junker's gonna be unsuspecting enough?"

The woman looked up from slipping another ration into the last box.

"Is that sarcasm I hear?"

"…maybe. By the way, General, I never asked how your vacation was."

She cringed at the title of which she had just recently been informed, slightly resenting her sister for not telling her of the accepted 'suggestion' she had made as to her replacement.

"It was fine. Elaina was quite relieved when you called just before we were going to race at the old Boonta Eve track. Do you really think that Han could have survived being frozen for this long? I researched it and there are some great risks involved."

The boy looked down at the floor.

"He has to live."

"Kelly! Kelly!" the head surgeon panted, suddenly running into the docking bay.

"What's wrong, Jay?" the apparent general queried.

"Have you seen Larian?"

Kelly exchanged confused looks with her nephew.

"No, I haven't seen her since she stormed out of gym yesterday when we went there to look at the blueprints of Jabba's palace."

"Are you sure? Anything! I think she might have done something rash."

"Well…there was an unscheduled launch that was reported last night, but I thought it was just a fluke, so I was going to check it today… You don't think…?"

"Oh, blood and bloody ashes!" Jay swore, pacing with shocking ferocity.

"What's going on?" Qui-Gon asked, stalking quickly through the door. "Jay, I saw you running this direction…what happened?"

"Larian's gone!" the doctor groaned. Everyone present aside from the physician was utterly confused as to her uncharacteristic panic.

"Love, we'll find her. I'm sure she just went for a walk…"

"No! She's gone! She was my responsibility and now she's gone!"

Never had Kelly seen Jaylyn break down in tears, but this was a completely different story. With Qui-Gon tightly holding her, she just seemed completely out of sorts.

After of moment, her son looked up from his obvious beloved.

"Would you mind if we came with you, Mom? I know it wasn't planned, but you might need the backup and if there's even the slightest chance that Larian is…"

"Don't go any further, Qui-Gon," the widow reported. "I'll get Admiral Ackbar to give you clearance if I have to strangle his big fat neck myself."

--

"Elaina! It is high time I saw how your dance skills have fared over the years."

The blond scowled up at the alien beside her as she sat leaning against the dingy wall while simultaneously trying to keep the single unadjusted part of her dress from slipping beyond boundaries. While she had managed to limit the height of the two-sided splits on the skirt to just above her knee and intricately crisscrossed the rolled sheer white material across her stomach so many times that no skin could possibly show, the spaghetti strap top almost showed cleavage, though it thankfully didn't. The matrons were, frankly, not too happy about the relieving alterations.

"Why don't dance yourself, Jabba?"

Rage showed clearly through his demeanor; however, before he managed any retribution, several loud sounds emanated from the entry hall.

"My lord," the groveling man whimpered, running to face the Hutt, "we have captured an intruder."

Elaina groaned softly when the 'intruder' was dragged in by the hogs and brought before Jabba.

"What is your name?" he asked.

Silence.

"He asked you your name, slave!" the previously groveling man hissed, slapping the girl across the face.

Jabba smirked at the defiance and Elaina somehow knew that she would soon not be the only one on a chain.

"Larian. Larian Erassa," the woman breathed.

Elaina merely pursed her lips at the nurse, who had just noticed her, and muttered to herself.

"Oh dear."

Thanks for reading and please review!


	30. Love and Other Disasters

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

My sincerest apologies for not updating sooner! With everything going on, it was hard to fit in any writing time at all. Enjoy!

Avril Lavigne's "Fall to Pieces" goes with scene 2 and John Waite's "These Times Are Hard for Lovers" (I wish this song was longer since it goes so well with the final scenes...if you want, it works to just play it twice) is for the rest…

Happy Easter!!!!!

Love and Other Disasters

"Be careful, 3PO. Make sure Elaina knows that the plan is proceeding. Hopefully, your part will be unnecessary."

Luke soberly watched the droids shuffle and roll away from the little transport vessel. Perhaps another three or four hours and the suns would begin to get low in the sky. They had clearly left earlier than planned. He chuckled, however, when he overheard 3PO's muttering to the other droid as they departed.

"What do you mean: that was encouraging?! Oh, I feel so…useless!"

"Still worried, huh?" Kelly asked, suddenly standing beside him at the bottom of the ramp.

"I don't know…I just have a bad feeling about this."

The woman laughed out loud, turning and being able to look directly into his eyes due to her nearly intimidating height. He coughed when she slapped him on the back in a fit of her pathetic sense of humor.

"Luke, warriors before battle, doctors before major surgery, Jedi before dangerous missions, trainees before their final trial, schoolchildren before a test…they all feel the same way. I have many times. Just think; this is nothing compared to when we come to the last faceoff with the Empire."

The young man grimaced.

"That's supposed to be comforting?"

She clicked her tongue, probably realizing how little her statement had helped.

"Ok…that didn't come out right…"

"Really? No kidding?"

"You know, Luke. You're turning out to be more and more an even mix of me and Elaina by the day. With the traits coming through, that's not necessarily a good thing…at all…but, uh, still…trying to stay positive!"

With another whack on the back, she turned to go back inside.

"Kelly!" he called, hesitating even as she turned back and resumed that discomforting, eye to eye study. It was especially aggravating due to her shocking promotion to general of Elaina's previous command. He wanted to know more, but he didn't know when the right time was or how he needed to go about finding out what he wanted to know.

"Well? I didn't walk back that whole three feet for nothing, you know."

"Has everyone been lying to me all this time? Ben, you, Elaina, Yoda, everyone…"

"Such mistrust! That's the second worst thing to flat-out lying to someone," the girl chided, still with relatively good humor, though something told him that she was feeling slightly uncomfortable with where the conversation might be going.

"Some relatively recent…events…have made me…suspect…that you and the others haven't told me everything about my…heritage."

She raised an eyebrow, her loose, waist-length hair blowing gently about her face in the warm rising wind. Still, there was some invisible discomfort. He didn't know how; he just knew.

"I told you all you needed to know."

"That Vader was Obi-Wan's pupil and Elaina's brother? That my father was his good friend and your brother? That you almost turned to the dark side? That Vader betrayed all of you and killed my father? That you and Obi-Wan just happened to live on the same planet as me afterwards? That…" He cut off after realizing the vehemence in his voice. Kelly just loudly released a breath she had been holding.

"My dear nephew…all of those things are true, but Obi-Wan and I specifically chose to live on Tatooine to be close to you and protect you. I've noticed more frequently that you're terribly similar to your father."

"And what's so wrong with that?!"

"I…you…you will understand in time, Luke. Have patience. Here, let me teach how to link with a person so you can sense when they're injured or in any trouble."

He growled with the lack of results, but followed her back in anyway.

--

"You sure you're all right?" Qui-Gon insisted.

"Yes, I'm fine!" the girl hissed, now annoyed with the man's persistence. "Are the droids gone?" she asked Luke as he stomped in after Kelly.

"They're gone," he muttered, following the brunette right back out into another compartment.

"I wonder what's got his feathers ruffled." She leaned gratefully back on the bench into her lover's ever-more muscular shoulder. She only hoped that he didn't get buff to the point of looking ridiculous. At the moment, the look was just right for him. It complimented his features quite nicely. Of course, she'd say something if it came to be too much…

"You seemed to have settled down quite nicely after a while," he commented. Jay could feel him tense in anticipation of a strike back.

"I'm trying not to think about it," she replied quietly, not looking at him since he would instantly see the suppressed worry in her eyes. The doctor sighed blankly and snuggled a little closer. "I can't wait 'til this is all over."

His new, short and neatly kept goatee brushed the top of her head as he grinned and put an arm around her opposite-facing shoulders, which soon turned towards him with the comfort of his kindness.

"Me neither. Do you think anyone suspects anything?"

Her shoulder-length hair bobbed around as she barked a soft laugh.

"Probably…especially your mother. I think she could sense it if you were contemplating shaving that new decoration from your face…and she'd be grateful."

"Would you be?"

Jay sniffed and fondly tugged lightly on the complimentary grizzle.

"I like it."

"…just making sure."

"You know, you don't need my approval for everything."

Qui-Gon sat up slightly in exaggerated indignation.

"I don't need your approval for anything! …I just prefer it."

Suddenly, a pained expression appeared on his face.

"Qui-Gon?!" she hissed in barely suppressed panic. If only she could figure out how the Ally could be eliminated. Yet another burr in her boot! "Qui-Gon, what happened? Are you all right?"

As his expression gradually relaxed, the doctor instantly took over, snatching a small light from her organized, hard leather belt case to check the reaction of his pupils. It hadn't been a seizure or anything of that sort. He hadn't actually seized! On the other hand, she knew for a fact that his death-grabbing of the seat cushion and remaining, strangely bloodshot, eyes weren't just the effects of some normal bout of a bee sting. This 'Ally' kept giving her a dozen mysteries to each answer she found.

"Jay, I'm fine," the man whispered assuredly. She ignored his feign and kept checking his vitals. She had lost her father, mother, brother, and was losing her sister. She couldn't lose him just because she couldn't find the cure for the personal torture invention of the most powerful man in the galaxy... "I have to go talk to Luke." He tried getting up, but the woman just pushed him back down. "I'm fine." He roughly removed her hand from his shoulder and walked away in the opposite direction of their companions.

The girl stared after him in shock. There had been something in his eyes as he pushed her away that scared her more than anything. She couldn't lose him, too.

A single tear fell to the floor as she continued staring, holding the throbbing arm with which she had tried restraining him…and the adjoining hand mark turning into a soft purple bruise.

"I can't lose him..."

--

Vader stoically glared at the recently used communication terminal. Honestly, he sometimes despised the thought of using the loved ones of his victims as bait, since that had been how his slavery had come about…no, he had chosen this. His fate had been sealed when he gave the initial stroke that had ended Windu's life. He had become responsible for an unforgivable slaughter. After the council member had been eliminated, there had been no going back. The Jedi and those he loved would have never accepted him: the killer of one of their own.

He just hadn't expected Padme not to see…no! Thoughts like that only brought pain. He had chosen this fate. He had to obey the Emperor. His fate was sealed…as was that of everyone else in the galaxy.

--

Jay stepped from the ship's ramp onto the sand, feeling the microscopic grains give way to allow a stable support for her feet. While the hot planet had never really been her choice place to be, unlike her sister, there was something about the toasty atmosphere which seemed to momentarily be exactly what she needed. She felt cold all over, regardless of the broiling temperature, and her arm was again beginning to throb where a bruise had additionally taken hold. Why did everything feel like it was falling apart? She knew that she had no talent with the Force (someone would have told her if it were otherwise), but sometimes she just had…bad feelings that always proved themselves true or hopes that were always answered.

Between her unpleasant encounter with the man she loved, the feeling of foreboding, the chill, and the pit in her stomach, Jay felt almost sick. She could almost hear a voice in the back of her mind telling her to turn back, give up the mission, and leave the others to their fate…of course bringing Qui-Gon with her…

No, she couldn't do such a thing. She was a doctor and doctors never abandoned their patients. Upon becoming a physician, Jay had been subjected to a series of tests, challenges, and promises by her teacher. Among these, the most important had been the oath to preserve and protect life. That vow was what made true doctors. In a clinic or infirmary, the oath was usually easy to obey, but out in the field, your decision could mean life or death for friend and foe. You faced a terrible dilemma each time you treated an enemy. You knew that the most likely thing which would follow was torture, interrogation, and a probable death. In such a position, your oath pulled you in a hundred directions. It was wrong to just let him die when you could save him, but, on the other hand, if you saved him, he would face a likely death without pride or honor.

But saving lives was her job. The wounded enemy often joined the Rebellion after some recovery and convincing and Han's rescue would boost morale greatly for her lover, his family, and their friends. Saving Han could inspire them to save millions more with their passion to destroy the Empire.

"Jay?" a quiet voice asked, coming slowly towards her. Jay hadn't realized that she had wandered around to the other side of the ship.

The girl said nothing as he stationed himself at her side and began shifting his weight in obvious discomfort of his situation. As he looked towards her, however, his eyes happened to catch her injury and he dropped to a crouch to examine it, seeming as if he didn't know how to touch her arm.

"Jay!" he cried. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that I had… Blasted, why can't I keep…?" His hand went his forehead in pained perplexity and emotional anguish.

"It's just a bruise," she responded, cringing however when she accidentally squeezed it. "Besides, you didn't mean to."

"Didn't…!" The man's voice faded off as he stood and turned away from her. He continued holding his chin in confusion and disgrace. Something about the way the suns hit his broad shoulders and danced against his hair made him seem more manly and striking than ever…perhaps because he was in his element. "Jay, that is not 'just a bruise'. I hurt you. I hurt you and I couldn't stop it until it was too late." He turned back towards her earnestly. "Jay, if can't protect you from myself, how am I supposed to protect you from the Empire?"

As she approached him and gently took hold of his hands, his eyes didn't leave the little hurt.

"Qui-Gon…you don't have to protect me from the whole galaxy. We have a whole load of Jedi, soldiers, and commanders doing that job. And you don't have to protect me from yourself. Even in your…alternate state, I know you could never really hurt me. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"But I can't control it. When it takes hold, there's no fighting it!"

"We'll defeat the Ally. I promise you."

"No, I promise you."

Instantly, she found herself in his embrace. There was something in his demeanor, however, which told her that something else was wrong. Maybe it was just the way the wind was hitting her.

--

Luke honestly tried concentrating. He was just utterly failing.

"My dear nephew, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but linking with another person requires an actual amount of focus."

Another moment of silence passed as the young man made one more effort to connect his mind with Kelly's for the specific purpose of sensing pain, worry, etc. Finally, he threw his hands into the air and slouched back down against the wall.

"I can't."

The woman merely pursed her lips. It was practically the human version of the look Yoda had given when the pupil 'gave up'.

"I would have thought that Yoda's lessons of how appearances do not matter concerning the Force would have sunk in by now. I guess I was wrong. You're just as bull-headed as…eh, whatever! Try one more time. Then we'll quit. What are you staring at? We don't have all day!"

He was in shock. Kelly Kenobi, his aunt, a Jedi Knight, and the wife of Obi-Wan Kenobi, was actually losing patience! …but the boy simply looked back at her. He couldn't think…except when it came to one person in particular. He didn't know why he was suddenly so concerned about her. He'd barely noticed her before…well, aside when she had fixed his severed hand…and when she was dancing…but that wasn't the point…

"She'll be all right, Luke."

His eyes refocused to find Kelly looking quite intently at him, the impatience completely gone.

"Who?"

"Larian. You know, when this is all over, you should ask her to dinner. I'm sure she'd be thrilled beyond words."

"No."

"Why not?"

A relationship like that would only leave a weakness for the Emperor to take advantage of…he couldn't risk losing another…

"No."

With that, he began concentrating and almost instantly established a link with Kelly, who nearly leaped out of her chair in surprise.

--

Kelly watched Luke go. Would there ever be a time where affection could be more than a secretive luxury?

_"How is this relationship going to work, Obi-Wan? Other than trying to live two lives at once, the only other option would be to run away and leave everything behind…and I have the feeling that you would prefer not doing either, but we have to make a decision."_

_Clearly, the problem had troubled the man also as his grip on the girl's shoulder tightened slightly._

_"For now, we will see how this war progresses. The way Master Yoda was talking of it, there are many possible outcomes, whether they are in a few years or a century."_

_"I can't wait…or I should say that you can't wait. Historically following Enduring Warriors, I won't actually show any signs of age for at least another seventy-five years. Obi-Wan, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I can't wait years!"_

_"Patience! The order will have need of us during this war, so I think we can temporarily put off our selfish desires and give all the aid we can. I need your support on this decision."_

_It was one of the hardest choices of her life, right alongside leaving Tatooine. Just like that time, though, it was vital that she cooperate._

_"Very well…we will wait."_

--

Chewie approached Leia as the princess emerged from one of the guest bedrooms in the mansion/orphanage dressed in her bounty hunter costume. Under her arm was the matching helmet. He instantly sensed her discomfort and enveloped her in the third hug of that day.

"Thank you, Chewie. I'm just worried that this won't work and…oh, where's Elaina when I need her?!" The Wookie voiced his wounded ego. "I'm sorry. It's just…Elaina would have some sort of advice of what to do when your heart's at the breaking point."

--

Elaina bolted upright into a sitting position even as Oola, a Twi'lek dancer with an angel of a personality, joined her on the raised platform next to the drooling Hutt. Larian sat on the blonde's other side dressed in a two-piece outfit of stiff leather which made her own look modest by comparison. Thankfully, she wasn't by herself. The three unwilling slaves had struck up quite the friendship.

Her chained companions, however, were not what grasped her attention. Lando, also undercover as the bounty hunter who had turned her in to Jabba, was reentering the main hall from a side room on the far side along with several rowdy creatures. The Jedi's cheeks heated to a crisp when she noticed that he had an arm around the waist of each of the two alien women with him. He had been like this almost since their arrival. She had tried confirming the plan with him only an hour before when they were alone, but had been brushed off like unwanted dust. It wouldn't have bothered her if not for that. Oola touched her hand in comfort.

Suddenly, however, she felt the hot breath of the ever-more-present Ally over her shoulder as it whispered,

"**Now you see as I do.**"

Thanks for reading and please review!


	31. Complications

Thanks Katie Ladmoore, DragonRider2000, and I love dance for your reviews!

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my mom, who's helped me with many of my literary questions, despite not being much of a writing geek (haha), and, through which, kept my stories "innocent." Thanks, Mom!

Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" goes with scene 1, Sarah McLachlan's "Path of Thorns" goes with 3-4, and Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" is for 12…

Complications

"_As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids," the hologram finished…or seemed to finish. _

"_What did he say?!" 3PO cried in disbelief as Luke explained his offer. Larian looked over in shock when she heard Elaina snickering under her breath at the robot's distress._

"_Both are hard-working and will serve you well. Also, I have heard that two of my operatives, Elaina Jinn, a bodyguard, and Larian Erassa, a nurse, are in your possession. I would like to additionally negotiate the release of the latter; however, the bodyguard I leave to your discretion as I no longer have need of her." It was the nurse's turn to chuckle as 'the bodyguard' squeaked in apparent shock, although her humor dissipated with Jabba's stare. A moment later, she felt Oola's smooth hand on her shoulder._

"_He won't hurt you. I'll make sure of it," the alien whispered. Larian wasn't sure how the other slave was going to manage that proposition, but she didn't bother to ask questions even as the droids were hauled off for assignment. _

A few hours had passed since then. It was beginning to get uncomfortable just sitting in front of everything with no back support whatsoever…

"Dance, slaves!" the crime lord called, beckoning the three girls to perform on demand. That much Larian had figured in translating the pathetic language. Honestly, she had no idea as to how they were supposed to coordinate anything with the constant risk of tangling their chains!

But dance they did, shockingly enough. Both of her companions had their brows furrowed in concentration, though she wasn't sure whether the reason was from mere guessing or something else. Then, she found out why Oola had jumped slightly upon rising from the platform.

_Larian! _a voice called. The girl looked around wildly for the source. She only found Elaina scowling at her in the middle of the floor beside the other woman. Somewhat of a dance plan suddenly appeared in her mind. _Follow __exactly__._

As bewildered as she was, she obeyed. Still, there was something exhilarating about being in such an exotic environment. Even as a slave in the past, nothing had been this…fascinating!

The dancers circled each other, chains quietly clanking together. One slipup could mean death for all of them… The concept was just, at the moment, thrilling! Even in chains, she felt free; free from her sister's nagging and the other nurses' teasing…free from Luke's blank stare. Honestly, did he really have no idea how she felt for him?

Still, hadn't she made her own decision to leave and be part of the distraction for the rescue mission?

The skimpy clothing was really uncomfortable…then she remembered why she hadn't changed it. All for the sake of independence…

_As the girl stood in the dressing room, looking uneasily at the pieces of leather sitting on the couch, the door opened and shut behind a clearly upset former general._

"_Larian, I don't often say this…all right maybe I do… Are you crazy?! Showing up at a crucial time like this?! You know I can't focus on keeping my cover and look after you all at once!"_

"_I'm not asking you to watch me, Elaina." The blond winced. When it came to people of rank, the nurse always humbly used their titles. Now, however, Elaina had no rank other than being a bodyguard, which had no title whatsoever. She was just a civilian with pretty much no right to tell the young woman what to do. "I chose this little adventure all by myself. I don't need your protection!"_

_They glared for a moment._

"_Fine! At least let me help you modify that outfit. You're not going to like how it fits."_

"_No!" Larian cried out of pure defiance. She would regret that stubbornness later…_

"Maybe you'll listen to my advice next time," Elaina growled as they went back to their seats, having gotten through the dance unscathed. The younger girl growled back under the breath, readjusting her bodice. She could have sworn that it was made specifically to require such an action every two minutes.

"Something's wrong," she heard the bodyguard mutter, meanwhile looking warily around the room. "R2 and 3PO weren't supposed to arrive here until tomorrow morning. The plans must have changed." Jabba's beaked pet squeaked in alarm as the blond gave him a resounding whack in frustration. "Lando was supposed to tell me about any alterations!" Even a sharp tug on her chain from the Hutt didn't hinder the former general's worried scowl. "Shh!"

Larian looked at the other woman in alarm.

"I didn't say anything."

"Not you," she mumbled, looking behind her. "Sh."

"I'm surrounded by people who should be in a psych ward!"

--

Qui-Gon cringed. Even though his lover's glare wasn't directed at him, it was still a frightening thing.

"I am coming with you," she told Luke with a quivering voice.

"Lando never responded to my communication earlier. Something has gone wrong on their end. What if they were caught? We can't risk a potential trap! You can't come with us."

Kelly was, meanwhile, kicked back in the side seat of the open cockpit, mutely observing the argument and cleaning her fingernails.

"Luke," the other man finally intervened, "I'll stay behind with her; make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

"What?!" the girl cried.

"…that way, we can resolve this issue in our own time," he finished to her firmly. She would thank him later…

"You can't make me!"

"Would you like to test that hypothesis?" She quickly sat down on a nearby crate, pouting. "Listen, Luke. You're not leaving until tomorrow morning. Maybe we can come up with some sort of compromise."

"This issue is closed," the boy stated, causing Qui-Gon to snap his own mouth shut with anger.

**He has the nerve to…!**

He quickly silenced the voice. Whatever it was, it had been annoying him for quite some time.

"Chill out, Luke," chided Kelly from her perch. "You're not a Jedi, yet. You're still a padawan learner, as far as I'm concerned. Therefore, you have practically no right to tell someone of higher rank, however slight as far as commanders go, and position what to do or not do. You're forgetting that he happens to be my second-in-command, as well as my son and your cousin."

As much as it irritated him to have to be defended by his mother, Qui-Gon was content with Luke's humble acceptance of the admonishment.

--

"Dance!" Jabba insisted. Elaina lazily turned her head to glare at the fat slug just behind her.

"We just danced less than an hour ago. I don't know about the other two, but I've lost some of my stretch due to lack of practice. My back feels like…"

"Dance!" he interrupted again.

"Make me."

"**Allow me,**" the Ally hissed into her ear.

"And how exactly can you help?"

"**I've accessed much of your forgotten memories concerning your required lessons at the Jedi temple all those years ago…and your training for going undercover in this Hutt's grasp before.**"

"Dance!" Jabba cried again, exasperated. Elaina knew exactly why his guards weren't trying to force her.

"The last time I let you take the wheel only half an hour ago, you flung three of the guards against the wall without breaking a sweat," she muttered.

"**That's because they threatened me,**" it casually commented slouching down between the blond and Larian. "**Course, they won't be doing that now, will you boys?!**" The last part was directed towards the guards, who obviously didn't hear.

"El, are you all right? Who are you talking to?" the nurse asked with a raised eyebrow, turning from her own conversation with Oola.

"I'm just…" Elaina paused to look at the rather humored Ally staring at her. "I…I'm just trying to…figure something out."

The girl merely went back to her own chat.

"**There's no reason to fight me. We're on the same side.**"

"Oh, so now, you want to kill the Emperor and destroy all that he stands for?"

"**Maybe…and maybe not.**"

If anything about the Ally annoyed more than anything else, it was the way she talked. It was Elaina's own voice, but the other used it differently. It had an airy, taunting sound to it…as if she was always trying to seduce. The sound almost made her sick.

"Well, one day, you will have to make a choice."

"**I never said that I hadn't made a choice.**"

"Whatever…" Jabba's insistence for a dance barely registered. "Fine, you can steer. Just…don't make too much of a show of it."

The sinister smile told her that letting the Ally take over, even for a single dance number, was a bad idea.

"**Let me show you the world through ****my**** eyes.**"

--

The Ally kept to the side as her host stiffly rose and stepped gracefully from the platform; however, as soon as the opportunity arrived, she took over and they became one. They could see as one and, of course, communicate without actually having to talk out loud. She chuckled as Larian Erassa nearly jumped from her seat when her friend's eyes turned red and hair significantly darkened at the roots, though it would have been difficult to see in the dim light.

_What happened to being discreet?_ Elaina whined, being able to see as normal, even though she couldn't control the body.

**Since you're being so stubborn, I'm going to show you ****exactly**** why your attempt at love is so ridiculous, **she thought back. **We'll get to your obstinacy concerning the Emperor, later. **

Elaina growled silently.

With charming grace, the woman commenced to confidently dance to the exotic music, all the while managing to keep her eyes on her host's lover, who sat in a dark corner with the same two alien females from earlier. With the Ally's help, jealousy quickly formed against Calrissian in the back of Elaina's mind. Completely oblivious to his lover's performance, his attention was completely taken by the green-tinted Twi-lek and petite human with lengthy white-blond hair with him. Oh yes, Elaina's jealousy was well on its way to hatred.

Still, the Ally kept up the unique act.

_No, it's not what it looks like. He's just using that as part of his cover. If he didn't, they would suspect…_

Despite Elaina's desperate denial, there was no hiding the broiling fury.

**You can't hide your anger from me. I know. I saw that he was trouble from moment we laid eyes on him.**

_You leave him out of this. You can try turning me in any other way, but leave him alone!_

**Why? You can't deny it now. By being in a relationship with you, he has gained the trust of the Rebellion and access to all of their resources. You've given him exactly what any man in a tight spot wants: power and immunity.**

_No…he couldn't…_

The resisting thoughts quickly subsided into a simmering mix of rage, sorrow, and, above all, pain with the knowledge that all she had worked for would ultimately fail.

**You know what the Emperor's plans are. I've seen your visions, your dreams. There's no escaping it for either of us. The only way to survive this war is to submit to the inevitable.**

There was a short silence as the dancing continued and sweat began glistening on Elaina's body.

_So, you're not saying that you are, in fact, completely loyal to the Emperor, despite being created by him?_

**The Emperor's drug only isolated a part of your brain for me to begin my work. I am ****not**** his ****creation****, **she mentally hissed.

_Ah, I see._

To the Ally's exceeding agitation, Elaina ceased all communication after that, not even saying anything after the dance ended and she was allowed to retake possession of her body, once again leaving the singularly visible parasite to once more stand on the side to whisper sweet nothings into the Jedi's ear.

Growling in the back of Elaina's mind, she couldn't help but feel sorry for…no, she wasn't sorry. She was an Ally, a servant of the Emperor, a… No, she couldn't possibly be second-guessing her duty. But what if the Jedi found out? She would never! The Ally would turn the Warrior, they would become one, and together they would serve the Emperor. Of course…

What confused her was when the seeable woman leaned over towards Larian and whispered,

"When we see Jay again, remind me to tell her that the only way to defeat the Ally is to join it."

--

It was probably getting close to dusk as the slaves once again danced for the crowd, as irritating as it had become. This time, they circled the dance area quite apart from each other. It still baffled Larian…everything! Between Elaina's sudden dance skills during her little solo and the info reminder, she was frankly worried.

A little tug on her chain caused the girl to turn her head towards Jabba. Accompanied by Oola's earnest protestations, the horrendous creature persistently tried to pull the beautiful Twi-lek towards the platform. Before she knew it, the nurse's collar was receiving the determined yanking as well. Elaina quickly intervened, pulling the black-haired woman back, not that it did much good. The Jedi held her hand out and a bright spark traveled up Larian's chain, shocking him, but still he persisted. Seeing the humans' plight, Oola fought harder, earning more of the opposing tow.

It all happened so quickly! The alien slave called something out to Elaina, who yelled back an argument. Oola's shaking head was answered by the blonde's silent nodding as Larian was pulled away from Jabba, feeling as though her neck would snap off from the pressure. Suddenly, her chain was released as the Hutt's hand flew to a button on his chair. The floor abruptly became a gaping mouth which swallowed the beautiful dancer before snapping shut again.

Realizing what had happened, Larian stuffed her face into Elaina's shoulder, sobbing as her friend's frantic screeches reached their ears.

"_He won't hurt you. I'll make sure of it."_

_--_

"_You know I can't focus on keeping my cover and look after you all at once!"_

_--_

"_I don't need your protection!"_

--

As Chewie continued his staged struggle against his 'captor', causing a gun to discharge as he fought one of the guards, his sensitive ears caught the piercing sobs of one woman and the fierce yelling of another. He distinctly recognized the latter noise as belonging to Elaina. Under normal circumstances, he would have praised her rather…colorful insults; however, the praise would have to wait. His rage truly appeared when he heard the desperate anger in the girl's voice. Words such as 'blasted', 'bloody', 'monster', and 'slug' were some of the milder invectives used.

For the next several minutes, the disguised Leia debated with Jabba in a language in which she had been coached by Kelly Kenobi, though Chewie only caught bare scraps of what she said. While acting feisty, he caught sight of Elaina, who gazed at him with conflicting, suppressed desperation.

"Chewie, are you okay?" she queried, voice trembling slightly. He merely responded by asking her the same question. "I…I don't know."

Finally, the thermal detonator was threatened and the Wookiee was dragged away; but his protectiveness over the little blond had already kicked in and he fought it every step of the way.

--

Night arrived promptly and all the guests of Jabba's circle were given accommodations of one sort or another as the Hutt and his more permanent subjects slept in the curtained area near his throne. When she was sure that the other occupants of the cot-lined room were deep in slumber, Leia slipped out of the room, noiselessly shut the door, and crept back towards the main area, sticking to the shadows as much as possible.

--

Hmm, perhaps the Ally was useful for something after all. In one of her violent outbursts (Elaina had finally started thinking of the leech as a 'she' rather than an 'it'), she had snagged a small metal pick of some sort from one of the pigs. It was now being put to good use in quietly picking the lock, even as she sat at Jabba's feet, thankfully close to the giant curtain (though why they had closed it was beyond her).

"**Turn it the other way. The other way!**"

"Shh, do you want to get us killed?" the blond barely whispered, though a couple of the scumbags still shifted uneasily in their sleep.

After successfully removing her collar without waking anyone (picking the lock her own way), the girl slipped lithely under the curtain, completely cloaked in darkness. Her head whipped toward the sound of the clanking chime placed in the doorway of the main entrance and she froze. A black figure stealthily, other than hitting the chime, tiptoed across the open floor and approached the lit section of the far wall where Han Solo was still plastered.

As the figure stopped in front of the live sculpture, Elaina slipped closer yet. She paused within touching distance and reached out.

--

Leia nearly jumped through the roof as a hand gripped her arm.

Elaina stood just behind her. The princess hadn't bothered to notice her before. The bodyguard, her bodyguard, was garbed in an outfit which had obviously been a two-piece at one point. The somewhat low-cut, orange, sleeveless top part and color-coordinated, ankle-length skirt with mid-thigh-high splits, which had clearly been sewn down to the knees at one point, were connected by a web of twisted white cloth that covered her back and abdomen. Her hair had at least a dozen little braids planted against her scalp all the way down to the back of her head and down the length of her hair.

The slightly shorter woman nodded for her superior to continue. Almost robotically, Leia pushed the buttons required to unfreeze the previous pirate, cringing as the lowering casing echoed on the hard floor. Both women backed off and held their breaths when the revival process proceeded. There was still a chance that he wouldn't survive.

As Han spilled out of the carbonite mold, both rescuers jumped to catch him, though Leia took most of the weight, letting him collapse into her lap as he sputtered and trembled.

"Just relax for a moment," she told him as quietly as possible through the mask. "You're free of the carbonite. You have hibernation sickness."

Elaina audibly groaned with that realization.

"I can't see!" the captain declared louder than necessary, completely bewildered.

"Your eyesight will return in time."

"Where am I?"

"Jabba's palace."

He felt her covered face and froze.

"Who are you?"

--

With obvious relief, Leia removed her helmet, saying,

"Someone who loves you."

"Leia!" the man cried.

Though Elaina would usually have been quite willing to let the duo sit there and kiss the night away, as they seemed momentarily inclined to do, she began to get antsy, bending down tell them,

"You two have to get out of here. The fuzz-ball and I will get out tomorrow."

"Elaina?" Solo questioned blindly, literally.

"Yeah, it's me, Han."

"I gotta' get you out of here," the princess pointed out to her lover, helping him up along with her protector. Why did it practically seem as if her heart was throbbing when she saw Han and Leia kiss?

The quiet was promptly interrupted by an ominous and familiar laugh.

"What's that?" the invalid demanded weakly, already knowing the answer. "I know that laugh." The curtain from which Elaina had recently escaped through opened to reveal a cackling Jabba, his associates, and his guards. Han then hefted himself from the girls' shoulders to confront the merciless Hutt. "Hey, Jabba…look, Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault."

"It's too late for that, Solo," the gangster sneered. "You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're bantha fodder."

"Look," the man tried defending.

"Take him away."

"Jabba…I'll pay you triple! You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool!"

Elaina got an extremely bad feeling as Han was dragged off and Jabba looked to her, shaking the empty collar at her.

She muttered the only thing which came to mind while waiting for her sentence.

"Oh dear."

"Elaina Jinn…you will never defy me again. Take her away!"

When Leia didn't soon follow, she knew exactly who would fill her empty collar.

As soon as she was shoved into the cell, she was met by a friendly ball of fur and a rather out-of-the-loop blind captain.

--

"_Why did you side with him?!" Jay cried, furious. _

"_Darling, I just said that I'd stay with you here to keep him from breathing down our necks while we're planning our own invasion of Jabba's palace," Qui-Gon stated. The doctor gasped._

"_You lied to Commander Luke Skywalker?"_

"_No, I wasn't lying when I said that. I'm staying with you here right now, but I never said how long we'd stay."_

_She grinned like a five-year-old._

"_You're the best."_

"You're pathetic," the girl growled as the man led her down what was unmistakably the sewage channel for the building. She shivered while sidestepping a suspicious lump on the floor. "This is the worst plan you've ever come up with. You know, I never heard any story where the hero had to deal with rats or sewers, let along rats in sewers. Oh look: a rat riding on something in the sewer!"

"Relax; it's just the water system," he muttered back.

"Remind me not to ask for a glass of water."

"I'll do that, but first, we have to get in the building. Start looking for a trap door or a gate."

"Done!" she said, pointing out an alcove practically right in front of Qui-Gon.

"You know, you're brilliant!"

"Somebody has to be."

--

As the giant door opened to allow the two cloaked arrivals, it took a few seconds for Kelly's eyes to adjust to the darkness within in contrast to the bright morning sun. Aside from leaving early due to Lando and Leia's lack of communication, everything was going as planned.

When two of the pig-like guards crossed their spears to block their way, Luke took one while she took the other in shoving them against the wall. It wasn't that it was at all difficult. It just happened to be what they felt like doing. Over the course of this little trip, the woman and her nephew had grown rather close. It was amazing how quickly he had learned to predict her intentions.

An overly pale Twi-lek male appeared from the shadows and approached the Jedi…well, Jedi and padawan…and tried telling them that they couldn't go any further. Luke didn't need Kelly to translate since he happened to already know Huttese from growing up on the planet, though the moving blockade seemed to know quite a bit of their language.

"I must speak with Jabba," the young man stated. They kept walking down the hall with the Twi-lek's protestations and a few guards trailing behind. "You will take me to Jabba now. You serve you master well…and you will be rewarded." The mind trick worked and they entered the throne room unhindered. The newly arrived self-proclaimed guests caused quite a stir, though the greeter had to actually wake the giant Hutt as 3PO cried from behind the throne,

"At last, Master Luke's come to rescue me!"

"Master," the Twi-lek began, promptly waking an obviously grouchy gangster. "…Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight." Clearly they knew who Luke was from the hologram message.

And, clearly, Jabba was not pleased with their presence.

"I told you not to admit him!" the Hutt exclaimed.

"I must be allowed to speak," Luke calmly presented. Kelly was about to inform him, as she should have done previously, that the mind trick, under no known circumstances, ever worked on a Hutt…or a Toydarian, for that matter. Jabba made it unnecessary for that, however, as he communicated it clearly to his assistant.

"You weak-minded fool! He's using an old Jedi mind trick."

"You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me," the boy persisted. She had at least thought that an explanation wouldn't be necessary after that!

"Your mind power will not work on me, boy." The woman simply shrugged when her nephew directed a rather withering glare in her direction, sending the whole room, which had been progressively filling since their arrival, roaring with laughter. When she saw Lando, it took all of her will-power to not jump and strangle him for possibly causing the ruin of the mission with his tardiness.

"Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this…or be destroyed. It's you choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

She couldn't help but put a hand to her still-cloaked head. Sure, he had gotten the whole calm demeanor thing down…but he was far from being a good negotiator. Underestimating had almost gotten her and others killed in the past…many times.

"Master Luke," 3PO cried, "you're standing on…"

The girl didn't let him get any farther, stepping in front of Luke, blocking him from Jabba.

"That's it," she muttered. "I knew you weren't ready for this! You're fired."

"There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die," Jabba insisted.

Kelly threw her hands up in surrender and turned away, but the stupid boy went for full theatrics, drawing his gun. As a guard grabbed for the weapon, the floor disappeared and was replaced by a gaping emptiness, into which the younger Jedi and the guard promptly fell, quickly followed by the brunette, who teetered on the edge of the abyss for a moment before someone behind pushed her.

Phew! I think that was my longest chapter yet. The thing is: I didn't want to have this as a two-parter and, honestly, it kept building when I didn't mean for to do so! Oh well, it makes up for the little delay. Haha…well, hope you enjoyed and please review! :)


	32. In Love and War

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews! Your support helps me immensely in my writing. :)

Alicia Keys' "No One" is for scene 4 and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' "Guardian Angel" is with scene 6…

In Love and War

"Kelly!"

_"__There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die,__" Jabba insisted._

_Kelly threw her hands up in surrender and turned away, but the stupid boy went for full theatrics, drawing his gun. As a guard grabbed for the weapon, the floor disappeared and was replaced by a gaping emptiness, into which the younger Jedi and the guard promptly fell, quickly followed by the brunette, who teetered on the edge of the abyss for a moment before someone behind pushed her._

_Jedi reflexes kicking in, she whipped a thin wire from her utility belt and used the Force to fasten the hook to the closing trap door. Her falling weight caused her to jolt sharply to a stop. As her head lulled downward from the pain in her back and neck, she faintly caught sight of Luke beginning to slide through a chute on the side._

The woman groaned from the continued throbbing as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. Pulling herself upright against the wire from which she was dangling, Kelly squinted through the darkness towards the grating sound of what turned out to be a giant gate beginning to open.

Ten feet above her head, 3PO cried,

"Oh, no! The Rancor!"

"The what?" she mumbled.

"Kelly!" Luke called again. This time, she wasn't able to reply since someone on the other side of the grate sliced through the only thing between her and a twenty-foot freefall; she promptly landed with a resounding 'Oof!' "Kelly!" he shouted once more, running over to her prone form and kneeling down. The squealing of the pig trying to escape through the chute rang in her ears. "Kelly, are you all right?!" She just groaned. "What hurts?"

"Everything," she coughed out, remaining flat on her back.

"Can you move?"

"I don't know. I think I may have broken something…probably a rib, my luck…" Rolling her eyes towards the rising gate, the Jedi noted that it was only halfway up…when it seemed as if hours had passed. "Go, get away…now!" With one swift movement of the Force, she hurled the boy against the back wall none too gently.

Grunting with effort, the woman managed to push herself into a sitting position…just enough to get a front seat viewing of the terrible creature's unveiling. Though they were a favorite horror story in bars, leaving it difficult to not hear about them, Kelly had never actually seen a rancor…and it was just as disgusting as the stories portrayed…and even taller.

"Kelly, look out!" Luke warned, just getting up from being tossed.

The brunette cringed as a chunk of the beasts drool barely missed her head. Lucky for her, the pig's cries for help grabbed its attention as the apparent first victim. As disgusting as the thought was, she was quite relieved to have the thing silenced; however, that didn't last long. The rancor promptly looked straight down and Kelly eagerly began crawling through the dirt, trying to ignore the now-focused pain in her ribs. She didn't remember being that frightened in years!

The second her groping hands found a buried dagger of some sort, claws enveloped her torso. Crying out in pain from the pressure, the girl dug her new-found weapon into a huge finger, skittering away to a nearby recess the second it dropped her and panting from the fright.

"Are you okay?" Luke repeated across the dungeon-like room.

"I'm fine," she replied breathlessly, wincing in the process of tossing her dagger towards her nephew. From the direction the rancor's gaze was taking, he would need it. Of course, Luke took the opportunity to remind the widow of his exceptional talent for untimely stupidity by picking up an oversized bone at his feet and paying no attention whatsoever to the convenient dagger three feet short of him. Exhausted and bruised, she flung her arm out in a shooing movement while sliding onto the ground. "Whatever…"

After being lifted and dropped in his own turn by the beast, the boy wriggled into a crevice.

"Kelly, throw me the dagger!"

She rolled her eyes, showed her empty hands, and continued paying no heed to his plight…that is, until he tumbled into her corner, sticking his knee into her side in the process.

"Blasted!!! Do you mind?!" When she received nothing but a blank look in reply, she officially labeled him in her mind as a dim-witted child…

Clearly desperate, he picked up a relatively large rock and tossed it, hitting a button of some sort. The rancor, standing underneath its gate, was caught by the neck as the door closed.

Coughing again, Kelly looked up at the developing Jedi, who was looking down out at her with a defining smirk.

"Well?"

"Perhaps you're not entirely incompetent."

"So, run me through this plan again?" Han queried as he and his two companions were hauled along; to where, he didn't know, since he couldn't even see.

"I told you before: I wasn't in the loop when it came to alternate plans in the case of our original failing," Elaina growled back, accompanied by Chewie's annoyed snarls at the guards. "The others have a perfectly rational plan…I'm sure of it."

"Sure you are…"

"Han!" Luke suddenly called as their escorts apparently met.

"Luke!"

"Are you all right?"

"Fine…together again, huh?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"How are we doing?"

"Same as always."

"That bad, huh? Where's Leia?"

"I'm here," the beautiful voice answered.

"Would you cut the chatter?!" Kelly abruptly interjected from close by.

"Oh, chill out!" Elaina snapped back.

"I probably have broken ribs, for cryin' out loud!"

"Oh, poor you."

"Oh, dear," 3PO noted, silencing everyone. This wasn't good. "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately."

"Good, I hate long waits," the captain muttered, sending one of the creatures laughing hysterically.

"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."

"Doesn't sound so bad."

"In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a…thousand years."

"On second thought, let's pass on that, huh?"

The Wookiee promptly agreed.

Elaina interrupted with a bark of a laugh, saying,

"You're going to miss me, Jabba. A couple of dances hardly make up for what I did to you…burning half of your summer palace and stealing your favorite girl and all…"

"I will be satisfied," the obviously pleased gangster stated. "Your pain will indeed appease the price you must pay for your impudence."

"I don't know the meaning of the word."

Silence reigned for a moment, strangely enough, until Kelly broke it.

"Miss Grammar? You used to drill me on words like 'impertinent' and 'belligerent'. How could you forget 'impudence'?"

Another silence.

"Seriously!" the bodyguard cried. "'Impudence'…what does that mean?"

"Ah, good one!"

A few seconds following, Han felt the sentries pushing him along.

"You should have bargained, Jabba," Luke persisted on the way out. "That's the last mistake you'll ever make."

"I think my eyes are getting better," Han lightly noted, squinting around soon after the air skiff stopped above a gaping, tooth-filled hole in the ground. "Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur."

"There's nothing to see," Commander Skywalker responded calmly. "I used to live here, you know."

"You're gonna die here, you know…convenient."

"Just stick close to Chewie and Lando. I've taken care of everything."

"Oh…great!"

Lando laughed quietly, but his focus remained on the front of the craft where the shortest person there stood. Elaina had avoided even looking at him ever since they regrouped on the skiff. As a matter of fact, so had General Kenobi. He would explain his plight to at least his lover later. He was certain she would understand.

The man slightly jumped in surprise when the bounty hunter Fett suddenly joined them using his jet pack (such an unfair advantage!) right beside Elaina, who didn't even bat an eye. Calrissian strained to hear what they said.

"What do you want, Fett?" the woman asked with her slight accent ringing.

"You didn't think I wouldn't recognize your face at least from the battle on Geonosis, did you?" the masked figured queried in return.

"That was not the only time, nor the first, you saw me, Boba. Remember Kamino? You distracted my attention while your father snuck up behind me to knock me senseless."

He laughed.

"Yes, I remember that. I tried forgetting that planet entirely, but the confusion on your face when you saw a little clone boy suddenly standing in front of you was something rather hard to forget."

"Funny. That still doesn't answer my original question. What do you want?"

"I have a proposition for you. There is a certain woman whose bounty will make me comfortable for a very long time. You are probably one of the only people who can track her down without getting killed the second they come in contact."

Elaina chuckled softly.

"You want me to help you capture this girl in exchange for your busting me out of this…what about my friends? I won't leave them here."

"There might be an accident which would provide the opportunity for their escape."

She evidently considered the possibility.

"Who is it?"

"She's a former Jedi knight. Her name is Ahsoka Tano."

Lando wasn't able to see the woman's reaction since the other guards began shifting as 3PO spoke from the main barge; however, he did hear her explicit 'no', followed by Fett's departure, again by way of jet pack.

"Sly pussyfoot…"

The man touched the weapon-bearing belt attached to his own, making sure it was there. Elaina would really kill him if she didn't get it back.

"Victims of the almighty Sarlacc…" 3PO drilled.

Two veil-covered bounty hunters of Jabba's circle on the barge looked through one of the slatted windows into the glaring sunlight. Both wore matching, dark brown parkas in addition to their opaque headgear, black gloves, and dagger-lined belts over everything, which caused the surrounding crowd to stand discreetly apart from them; they probably seemed even more intimidating since their black-rimmed eyes were the only body parts in view.

The slightly shorter one leaned over to whisper to the other foreigner as Captain Solo barked a response to Jabba's offer.

"You know, when you picked a couple of bounty hunters who wouldn't be missed much to knock out, you could have chosen a pair with clothes that smelled a little better. No one will get within ten feet of us we stink so bad!"

The brown-eyed one softly responded.

"The reason they stay away is because the former owners of these clothes killed three people during their time in that palace alone."

Green eyes flashed up in a scowl that promptly subsided into a lightly bitten tongue with the Hutt's order.

"Move him into position."

With the commenced general excitement, Jay tried slipping away to save her sister since the attention was directed elsewhere, though she would never admit that; however, Qui-Gon pulled her back before she could get far.

"Jaylyn, remember what my mother said about the sensitivity of this mission. One false move and everything could be ruined. The princess will take care of your sister. Right now, we have a responsibility to get to the deck of this hulk before the rescue goes down. We don't want to be caught in the middle when chaos erupts."

"And I don't want my little sister to be in the middle of the chaos either. I can't come all this way just to leave her!"

"You won't be leaving her. By getting out of the way for a few minutes and adding some firepower to help Luke and the others, you will be helping more to protect Larian than you could any other way." The woman shook the imposing hand off. "Listen to me! We need to go now."

"I get it," she snapped, warily glancing at the strange glint in the man's eye as they made their way to the stairs, hearing the beginning of the action outside.

Honestly, she was more worried than ever.

_General__ Kelly Kenobi stalked into the lab adjacent to the main infirmary and slouched into a metal stool next to the cluttered table. _

"_You wanted to see me, Doc?" _

_An exhausted Dr. Erassa looked up from her microscope with a quirky smile._

"_Kelly! How are you?"_

"_Make it brief, Jay. I apparently have 'duties' that require my attention. Apparently, I've been slacking," the brunette growled, rolling her eyes._

"_I take it you're not too happy about your promotion." A whistle of air escaped the other girl's lips. "Well, you don't have to worry about slack. In his boredom and as your second-in-command, Qui-Gon has been taking care of your duties quite well. He can hide it from most people, but I think he's a little miffed that his mother got the promotion that __he__ deserved more than anyone."_

"_I'd say that he's not the one __actually__ miffed."_

_Jaylyn glared up from the microscope. _

"_Qui-Gon sacrificed __everything__ for the Rebellion. They took everything from him when he was captured. …and they took him from me."_

_Kelly glanced uneasily to the side._

"_I thought I told you to be brief. You know that coded gibberish means nothing to me." The physician slid her tool across the desk, motioning for the general to look. She complied and promptly threw her hands in the air. "I see about dozen dark dots swimming around. What is that supposed to mean to me?"_

"_The Ally is…"_

"_Oh, the Ally again!" she interrupted. "It's always the Ally with you! Why can't you find a problem that isn't connected to the Ally?"_

"_Kelly, this is probably the greatest biological threat of the century. If the end result wasn't inevitably submission to the drug's creator and the beast released by it, it would be an amazing achievement in the world of science!"_

"_Whoa, whoa, wait! What beast?"_

_Jay sighed and reclaimed the scope. _

"_Remember when you turned to the dark side?" Kelly visibly cringed. "Remember how that darker part of you just took over as you were seduced by the Emperor? It's still there even now, isn't it? Whispers and feelings still well up from that darker part of you, don't they? You've just unconsciously learned to keep it locked in the deep recesses of your mind. Kelly, all I need is a yes or no answer and my problem will be solved. Elaina is being no help, believe it or not; neither is Qui-Gon. That leaves only you to help me with the inner workings of that darker side._

"_The whispers for you have become reality for them. It's happening ten times faster with Qui-Gon because Vader concentrated his efforts more with him in comparison to Elaina. Please, Kelly, a yes or no is all I need and I might be able to solve this thing."_

_Hesitantly at first, General Kenobi nodded her head._

"Han! Chewie!" Lando desperately called, barely hanging onto the cord suspended from the skiff. Both of the people summoned were a bit occupied by the fight; then, he caught sight of the blond figure nearby making a stand with her pistol, skirt flapping gently in the wind. "Elaina!" he called. The girl looked down, saw his plight, and jumped to another part of the shuttle. "Han!"

"Lando!" the blind captain cried, realizing the situation.

Qui-Gon ducked behind a large crate as soon as he reached the deck, dragging Jay down with him as laser fire zipped past their heads. Whipping their guns out, they both began picking off the guards who were busy shooting at the skiffs.

"Qui-Gon…"

The young man looked to the woman beside him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I snapped earlier. I shouldn't have questioned everyone's judgment like that, especially Kelly's. She planned a good chunk of everything."

He looked away for a moment to shoot another target.

"Don't bother apologizing, Jay. There's nothing to forgive."

The doctor's scream cut itself short as a guard went toppling onto Qui-Gon, dead. A split second later, the creature's killer crawled onto the deck, lightsaber engaged.

"Luke!" the commander called. "It's good to see you're alive."

"You too," the older boy stated, running straight for the deck gun. The action gave both shooters the opportunity to stand and get a full view of the remaining cohorts and they were soon eliminated.

Suddenly, both Leia and Larian emerged from below decks. Qui-Gon looked worriedly at the surgeon; however, his concern was apparently misplaced. The younger Erassa, upon seeing her sister, rushed towards them, but Jaylyn abruptly held her hand up to stop the other girl, yelling,

"Stay with Luke, Larian!" …but Larian merely ignored the demand and rushed over while Skywalker ordered the princess to point the gun at the deck. "Larian, are you crazy?"

"Maybe I am," she replied, "but I wasn't going to spend another second with that witch."

"Why…?"

"Jay," Qui-Gon interrupted, seeing Luke's plan as the Jedi grabbed onto a rope (Larian audibly gagged when Leia wrapped her arms around him), "we have to jump."

"What?!" the nurse screeched. "It's at least twenty feet down to that boiling bunch of…" The two older people grabbed her arms and pushed her over the side, launching themselves off a moment later. Hitting the sand, Qui-Gon squeezed his eyes shut to avoid getting the tiny grains in them, allowed his knees to collapse, and rolled down the dune away from the barge. The second he stop rolling and Larian rolled against him, sputtering, he grabbed the girl's wrist and ran, just to go down again as the shuttle exploded.

It wasn't until he heard Larian's shocked gasp that he looked up. While the nurse was clutching her ankle, that was definitely not the source of her surprise. Hovering about ten feet over the sand was an Imperial shuttlecraft. Inside, Qui-Gon could just make out the face of the pilot. While the dark, impressive man did not look familiar in the least, the face burned into the commander's memory even as the craft turned and zipped towards space.

"Qui-Gon!" The call barely registered. "Qui-Gon!" Kelly persisted, stepping in front of him while Lando and Luke started helping Larian onto the skiff. "Qui-Gon, I thought I saw a ship when we were coming around to get you, but the blasted sun was in my eyes." She paused, waiting, but resorted to smacking him on the head to redirect his attention from the sky. "Qui-Gon…" She looked around for a moment. "Where's Jaylyn?"

He blinked a few times.

_Kelly Kenobi sat down in the mess hall across from her son, who was distractedly turning a small item between his fingers, though he pocketed it before she could see._

"_Hello, Mom," he acknowledged her._

"_I just heard about the promotion which everyone knew about except me." He nodded absently. "This won't be a problem, will it?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Me being your mother…you having been here a whole year longer than me and me getting the promotion…"_

"_General, I will serve you in the same capacity I served Elaina."_

Little did Kelly know, Qui-Gon had disobeyed Elaina's orders most frequently in order to protect her and others.

"Jay's gone. An Imperial shuttle took her."

"Uh-oh," Elaina commented, hopping down from their stolen transport. "I know that look. Kelly, I know you're the general, but, before he asks, I think you should give him permission to do one of the things he does best."

"And what is that?" the brunette asked incredulously, wrapping an arm around her side.

"Other than obeying orders…when he sees their logic…Qui-Gon's hidden talent is disobeying orders to run off for a rescue mission. He's never failed in bringing his target back safely." Kelly raised an eyebrow. In a moment, the man would bolt, with or without a go. "You haven't had much chance of seeing it because all of our circumstances since you arrived at the Rebellion have usually left him the stranded one and most orders have made at least some sense. He's had to get me out of a few difficult positions. He's the reason I was able to avoid a serious run-in with the Empire…until I was captured with Leia, that is."

"Do we have another ship he can take to pursue?" The sudden answer shocked him, since he had expected a 'no'.

Larian piped up from the skiff.

"I stole a fighter when I came here. It's just a little ways from Jabba's palace."

Curtly nodding, Qui-Gon tore off towards a second remaining skiff without another word. He had to find the Imperial pilot…

Thanks for reading and please review!


	33. Destiny Awaits

Thanks Katie Ladmoore, DragonRider2000, and I love dance for your reviews!

My normal way of separating scenes isn't working for some reason, so I'll separate the flashbacks with "SSSSS"...

Hayley Westenra's "What You Never Know" is with scene 5 and Imogen Heap's "Sleep" is for scene 6…

Destiny Awaits

"Here," Luke offered, holding his hand out to help pull Kelly into the seat behind his in the two-seated X-wing. Her suppressed groan prompted an incredibly concerned look from the young man as she settled herself. "Are you even up for this? Something tells me that you should be heading back with the others to get checked out by a doctor."

He imagined that he could almost feel the heat of her glare boring holes into the back of his head while the lid shut.

"I'm sure my ribs are just a bit bruised from that fall. Believe me; I've had worse."

"Sure."

A moment's silence following as the craft buzzed through the atmosphere.

"Luke!" Han called over the com.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Listen; are you sure Kelly's up for this? Everybody here is a bit worried. She's good at hiding pain…but not that good."

"I was just asking the same question."

"I'm fine," the brunette snarled into the link.

Luke just laughed, having become at least somewhat used to Kelly's stubbornness, and directed his conversation back away from girl behind him.

"I'll meet you back at the fleet."

"Hurry," Leia interjected calmly, her lovely voice coming through clearly. "The Alliance should be assembled by now."

"I will."

"Hey, Luke, thanks," Han offered. "Thanks for coming after me. I owe you one. You too, Kelly."

With that, the ships went their separate. It wasn't quiet for long as R2 promptly whistled a question.

"That's right, R2. We're going to the Dagobah system. I have a promise to keep…to an old friend."

"Don't worry, Luke," the Jedi put in. "Master Yoda will be quite impressed. You've done rather well, if I may say so myself."

The boy chuckled again, not in the least apprehensive about seeing his dear friend again, but responded anyway.

"Yes, Aunt Kelly."

Having not expected it, Luke nearly jumped out of his seat when the woman's arm came lashing around to smack him on the head.

"Jedi reflexes? Awareness of your surroundings?" she drilled bemusedly.

"You think Qui-Gon's all right going off gallivanting by himself on the hunt for an Imperial shuttlecraft?"

Obviously, Kelly had been avoiding that line of conversation.

"I don't know. Regardless of Elaina's assurances and my own knowledge of his coolness of judgment, Qui-Gon has never been in a situation quite like this. The last time Jay's safety was on the line, the Empire captured him, tortured him, and used the Emperor's Ally on him, though I still don't get exactly what it does."

"I spent quite a lot of time with the fleet these past few months and, consequently, ran into the good doctor plenty of times. She seems to think that the drug just sort of weakens a person's mental barriers to the point of nurturing and bringing out the suppressed part of the mind which would normally emerge in a fall to the dark side. She also mentioned something about the 'darker side' being somehow motivated to serve the Emperor. It wasn't so much a separate consciousness as much as a…a…"

"…as all of your suppressed and hidden emotions coming out as another aspect of your own intellect."

That surprised him.

"Wow. Yeah, I guess…"

"So, maybe there is a way for the Ally to be beaten…but, it has nothing to do with anything medical."

A slight silence…

"Why do you think the shuttle stuck around to be seen after it took Jaylyn, when it could probably have escaped without?"

Kelly sighed despairingly.

"It was after Qui-Gon."

"But how…?"

"He would have been too hard to capture directly, so they captured Jay to draw him in…like a fish following bait."

"Why didn't we stop him?"

Another sigh, even more desolate than the last, came from the back seat.

"I don't know."

* * *

Vader knelt down as his supreme commander began walking down the shuttle ramp.

"Rise, my friend," the Emperor gently commanded upon approaching. The two galactic vultures then proceeded to walk back through the rows of their troops.

"The Death Star will be completed on schedule," Vader reported stoically.

"You have done well, Lord Vader. And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker."

"Yes, my Master." He could hide nothing from the man; that was clear.

"Patience, my friend. In time, he will seek you out. And, when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the dark side of the Force."

"As you wish."

"And what of the Rebellion's chief surgeon? Have you acquired her, yet?"

"The man whom you sent is on his way to deliver her to the site as we speak."

"Good! I knew that he would not fail me. He has been a most loyal subject, even since before the Clone Wars. When the time is right, I would like you to give them all a…proper greeting."

Vader nodded, almost cringing at what he would soon do. It was worse than any punishment he could inflict himself.

"What of Elaina Jinn and Kelly Kenobi?"

"Just as with young Qui-Gon, destiny will drive Elaina into our grasp. As for Kelly…her fate was sealed the moment she betrayed us. She will submit in her own way and time. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen."

The Emperor's cackling laugh echoed in the room, sounding the beginning of the end for the Skywalkers and the Rebellion.

* * *

_After hurling her sister over the barge's side, Jay closely followed Qui-Gon in leaping from the platform. 'Always be aware of your surroundings,' her father had always drilled. Ignoring that advice had often gotten her into trouble and this was no exception. _

_A gaping, metallic hole was right in her path of falling, ready to welcome her, rather than the soft sand beyond. The only thing she had time for was a slight gasp of shock before going straight into the hole and, then, nothing…_

"Qui-Gon," she groaned, rolling onto her back.

No answer. She opened her eyes.

The compartment was box-shaped and rather small. In fact, if she had stretched out, her toes would have only been a few inches from the side. Everything was apparently metal, with the exception of the thin pad on the floor which had probably been meant to break her fall…it failed. She had never felt this sore! At least nothing felt broken.

Thinking she heard voices, Jay eased herself onto her knees and crawled to what seemed to be a door. The voices seemed to come from only a few feet away. Add that to her little box and the distinct, but slight, hum coming from outside…a shuttle of some sort…a shuttle that had been creatively modified to catch a falling woman mid-air.

"Sir, we should be there in just a few more hours," one person said.

"Good," another replied. "I'll take the opportunity to perhaps find the reason we had to come all the way out here at all costs just to capture a rebel doctor."

When the door opened, Jaylyn, still on the floor, took the opportunity to look between the visitor's legs to get a view of the cockpit. She'd bet her last syringe that this was an Imperial shuttlecraft. But she agreed with the lead captor. Why would the Empire reach all the way out to the Outer Rim just to catch a physician? It wasn't as if the Emperor didn't have his own doctors, though she would almost be flattered if that were the reason.

Gazing straight up, the woman finally got a look at her guest, a man of medium build with dark skin, graying black hair, brown eyes, and an air of obvious command. This guy was used to telling people what to do…not always a good thing.

"Doctor Jaylyn Erassa," he addressed her…or, rather, mused in her general direction. "I was hoping that seeing you myself might answer a few questions as to why the Emperor chose you and not his mother or former commander. Surely, they would mean more to him than someone who's just bandaged him up a few times."

Jay was utterly confused with all of the abstract references; however, that changed when he looked down at her hands, which had been impatiently counting the seconds before something productive would come out of this. Following the man's gaze to her fingers, she realized what was so interesting: a softly twisted band of silver on the ring finger of her left hand.

"Well, that makes more sense," her captor concluded before stepping back into the cockpit and reaching for the button to close the door. "Panaka, Moff of the Chommel sector. Remember that name when others claim the victory of capturing you, Doctor."

Panaka…that name sounded familiar from one of the bits of history in skill and technique class.

* * *

_The doctor and commander, after getting their lunch, found a table in the corner of the mess hall and sat down across from each other, as had become a near tradition._

"_So," Jay noted, "have you heard that a pilot was sent to get our new general?"_

"_Yeah," Qui-Gon replied, stabbing into an overly-preserved chunk of dry meat that probably dated back to the Great Purge._

_The girl practically slaughtered the fist-sized fruit she was cutting in her own turn._

"_You deserved that promotion more than anyone. I can't believe Elaina would do that! How could she suggest some jumpstart commander when she's worked with you for so long? You've earned more than…this."_

_True, the young man had experienced his own bout of jealousy, especially after being 'temporarily relieved of duty' so many months back. He didn't know what he would do when his mother actually took on the duties that he had been performing perfectly well out of pure boredom in his own restricted position…but he knew why Elaina had suggested a 'jumpstart commander' over him. Many of the things Vader had revealed were things which normally would have been best left buried. _

_Gladly dropping his fork, he gently grasped the hand across the table, fondly fingering the sentimentally priceless piece of jewelry given only a few weeks prior._

"_I'm glad I was finally able to find this. I didn't want to propose without a ring. It didn't quite seem right."_

_Jay shifted slightly._

"_When are we going to tell everyone?"_

"_Soon…all of this will be over soon…I'm certain of it."_

"Where did the ship come from?" he firmly questioned the pudgy shopkeeper tied to the chair. More than one source in Mos Espa had pointed out the little man as a spy for the Empire. "Where were they going? What did they want?" The victim made a noise between a whimper and a snarl when Qui-Gon put a blaster to his head. "I already know that two men working for the Empire came here this morning; now, tell me what they wanted and where they were going." The store owner longingly looked towards the secured curtains and locked door which disallowed any peering eyes. "I will not ask again."

The coward made as if to spit at him, but the gun precisely went off, grazing an upper arm. The forthcoming howls grated against the man's ears. Bending down, Qui-Gon asked once more,

"Where are they taking her? I will not let a Sith have the upper hand over me. Where?!"

The captive glowered and replied through clenched teeth,

"You are a Sith. Nothing can save you or the girl, now."

Being caught off guard, the commander glanced at a nearby mirror. Sure enough, his eyes had turned red. No wonder he was feeling not quite himself.

**Do what you must,** that strange voice commanded again. **We must find Jaylyn and the Emperor.**

Somehow, the voice seemed more bent on finding the latter, but at the moment, they wanted to get to the same place.

The sneer of the shopkeeper quickly turned into a gape of fright with the new force he was facing.

* * *

Some of the recollections were her own, but most seemed…different…and they all had something to do with the Emperor…and she knew exactly what the end result would be.

_Her presence would be a problem for his plan, but all would work out in the end. He had foreseen it to be so. _

_SSSSS_

_"Alright, Sidious, drop the act. I know who you are and don't even try hiding it any longer."_

_"I beg your pardon?" Palpatine bluffed as he went back around his desk and sent a coded message with updated directions._

_"I understand that you fooled everyone up to this point; however, it is pointless now. Soon, everyone will know of your deception and your hopeful reign will be at an abrupt end."_

_Still determined to maintain his façade, he replied,_

_"I have noticed, Mistress Jedi, that you have accused three other men of power during the past three years. Accusing me only stresses your position even more."_

_Confusion reappeared on the girl's face._

_"What are you talking about?...my position…?"_

_"Oh come now…were you really foolish enough to attempt covering your treachery by putting the blame on others? I thought you were smarter than that…and more faithful to the oaths you swore to the order!"_

_SSSSS_

_Upon stepping onto the overlooking balcony, Obi-Wan caught sight of two more-prominent subjects, the first being the Chancellor, strapped into a swiveling chair, and the second being (shockingly) Elaina, standing a few feet away from Palpatine with two battle droids flanking her and glaring at the man. Truly, the Knight had not expected to see his distant friend until returning to the planet, and possibly not even then. Of course, Elaina had indeed become prone to doing such oddities during the past few years._

_As soon as the men began descending the staircase, her head snapped to face them, though she said nothing. With a quick glance back at Palpatine, the girl began swiftly walking towards a side exit on the other end of the room, closely followed by her mechanical charges._

_SSSSS_

_"__I truly wish things could have turned out differently…I'm sure all of us are; however, my final advice, following that of the request not to promote my sister, still stands: continue along your present line of suspicion and you __will__ discover the true culprit behind this plot, which is more elaborate than even I can understand. The reason I know this is because the dark lord tried to turn me to his side a short time before you asked me to step down from the Council in order for Anakin to take my place as the spy."_

_A long pause ensued and the information stopped. Elaina's voice shook as she quietly carried on with the narrative._

_"__There is __so__ much more I want to tell __all__ of you…and no words can express the shame I feel for not coming forward with this so much sooner…but, for me…nothing matters more than my family. I lost Qui-Gon. The least I can do is protect Kelly and Anakin."_

_SSSSS_

_With more confidence than she had ever felt, Elaina slowly mounted the metallic stairs. Before her in the shockingly spacious compartment was a large window looking out into space and a large, metal throne facing the view. When she reached the top of the stairs, several guards suddenly appeared behind her and prepared to fire._

"_Stand down!" a voice called from the throne, which swiveled around a moment later, revealing a shriveled, cloaked figure. The guards instantly halted. She had never actually seen the Emperor face-to-face since the Great Purge. His appearance almost shocked her. "It took you a rather long time to arrive, General." Her chest swelled with pride for the recognition and shame in remembrance of her willing demotion. _

_She knelt down before the man._

"_I apologize for my delay, M'Lord. I had…doubts, but they were quickly crushed," she added in quick succession._

"_I should hope so."_

_Another second passed before she looked up to see the Emperor smiling down at her._

_She smiled back. She was wanted. She was home._

"Elaina?"

"What?!" she cried, jolting out of the cot, nearly bumping her head against Lando's. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to explain…"

"You don't have to explain! I saw enough. You barely even looked at me during the entire mission. You failed to report the change of plans, even when Luke tried contacting you. You…"

She was about to rush out of the room, but only made it to the door.

"My com broke," he said helplessly. "The witch that was with me practically the whole time discovered that I was a 'spy', broke the com, and threatened to turn me in unless I acted as if we were close in public. I dreaded every second I had to look at her face fondly, but I think that I was just a cover for her own identity."

"No excuses," Elaina muttered, opening the door before he grabbed the girl's arm and swung her around to face him.

"I love you, Elaina! Nothing will ever change that for me. It is you who has doubts."

The blonde helplessly gazed up at the man she loved. She couldn't tell him the truth, or anyone, for that matter. No one could understand…no one but the young man gallivanting off to save his beloved, only to be heading for a trap. She couldn't hurt Lando by telling him the truth. They wouldn't believe that all was lost, that their fates were all but sealed in stone…that the Emperor had unwittingly foreseen the coming days long before they ever dreamed of the fall of Elaina Jinn.

The Ally merely stood by, smiling.

"I can't," she whispered. "We can't."

"You love me, Elaina. I see it in your eyes. I just don't know why you're so uncharacteristically begrudging me. What has happened to you?"

She trembled in his arms and turned, resigned to what she needed to do.

"Fate."

* * *

Kelly loudly cleared her throat as they entered Dagobah's rough atmosphere.

"So, Luke…"

"Yeah?" the boy replied, his attention taken up by not landing in the swamp this time.

"I have a bad feeling."

"About what?" he queried, successfully setting the craft down near an earthen hut.

"The Rebellion, Yoda, Elaina, Qui-Gon, Jay, me, you…"

"So…everyone and everything."

"Yes, but it…"

"I'm sure it's nothing, Kelly. You're just most nervous than me about being evaluated by Master Yoda."

"For one thing, young man," she growled, "I will not be the one evaluated, since I passed my tests long before you were even born. But…that's not why I'm worried."

The conversation had occurred during their walk to the little residence, while R2 ceaselessly growled about needing to stay outside again and how it would probably rain. Sure enough, however, Kelly's fears were proven true. The voice from inside welcoming them seemed more fragile than ever, causing the two visitors to exchange a rather concerned glance.

As they crawled into the house, they found that the body to which the voice belonged was just as frail as it sounded. From the kitchen the ancient Master called summoning them to have some tea. Ironically, it turned out to be Elaina's favorite: stim tea.

"Wish Elaina had come I do," he mused. "Counsel she needs."

"Haven't you been talking to her with the Force?" Kelly offered, sipping her steaming drink as Luke moved into the next room to pout.

"Shut me out she has. Hopeless she has become…too certain of the future. No faith has she." The brunette was about to inquire further, but decided to remain silent, following Yoda out of the kitchen to sit near her nephew. Yoda humorously looked to the boy. "That face you make…look I so old to your eyes?"

"No," Luke responded too quickly, trying to erase his mournful countenance, "…of course not."

"I do…yes, I do! Sick have I become…old and weak. When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. Hmm?" Kelly heartlessly laughed with the green creature who had taught them all so much as he hobbled towards the shelf-of-a-bed. "Soon will I rest. Yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I have."

"Master Yoda, you can't die," the padawan protested, helping pull the covers over his Master, regardless.

"Strong am I with the Force…but not that strong. Twilight is upon me and, soon, night must fall. That is the way of things…the way of the Force."

With that, Kelly respectfully removed herself slightly from the area of conversation, remembering woefully the special bond between Master and apprentice. Anakin had killed her Master. She didn't know what had happened to her own padawan.

"But I need your help. I've come back to complete the training."

"No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need."

"Then, I am a Jedi."

"Ohhhh!" Yoda exclaimed. Kelly couldn't help but put her head in her hands at his naivety…and for disturbing the relaxed Master's peaceful relaxation with such a statement. She could see and hear the effort it was taking for him just to speak. "Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will."

"Master Yoda…is Darth Vader my father?"

The girl's eyes bulged. She strictly avoided giving him any reason to think such a thing…they all had! Where would he…he had acted a little different since the Cloud City incident…the last time he had confronted the Sith.

"Mm…rest I need," Yoda stated, turning away from Luke in his avoidance. "Yes…rest."

"Yoda, I must know."

"Your father he is." Kelly had lived with the knowledge that she had a Sith brother for over two decades, but hearing it was another cut to the wound. "Told you, did he?"

"Yes."

"Unexpected this is…and unfortunate."

"Unfortunate that I know the truth?!"

Kelly wanted to smack the kid upside the head, but Yoda turned back to answer.

"No. Unfortunate that you rushed to face him…that incomplete was your training. Not ready for the burden were you."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware: anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." At that, Luke uncertainly looked back at Kelly, who nodded her personal assent. "Luke…Luke…do not…do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate you will. Luke, when gone am I, one of the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke, the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned, Luke…" Kelly held her own breath, seeing the great Jedi trying and failing to breathe. "There is…another…Sky…walker…"

The next moment, Jedi Master Yoda, the greatest and most respected Jedi, passed from the world of the living into eternity…

*sigh* I hate the part where Yoda dies. Thanks for reading! Please review and vote!


	34. Epiphany

Thanks DragonRider2000 and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

The closer I get to the end of this fanfiction, the more I realize how attached I've gotten to it. When you create a character and build a personality and a story around it, it becomes a part of you. It's rather depressing to think of not having Elaina, Kelly, Jaylyn, Qui-Gon, and the rest to go back to in writing. All you can do is do your best in telling their tales and be able to look back fondly.

Anyway, I'm going to be gone for about a week pretty soon here, so there won't be any updates next week. Sad, I know. Haha. I particularly enjoyed writing the last part of the last flashbacks. You'll see. ;)

Susy Bogguss' "Hold On" is for scene 1, Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" is for scene 2, Harold Melvin's "If You Don't Know Me by Now" is for scene 3, and Lonestar's "Amazed" is with scene 4…

Epiphany

Sulking in the chair beside the game board on the _Falcon_, Larian mused over how much of an idiot she was…not just for running to Qui-Gon and Jay on the barge because her jealousy dictated that she avoid Leia (not to mention that, in her mind, Jay wouldn't have been captured if not for the rash act), but over how she could think that a commander in the Rebellion fleet and a Jedi, no less, would bother with a simple little nurse who batted her eyes at him a few times. And how could she have imagined that she could compete with Princess Leia Organa?

Her thoughts were broken as General…no, Elaina groggily entered and slumped into the chair across from Larian.

"You want to play a game?" the blond questioned, limply motioning to the board. The nurse just shook her head. "Eh, me neither. Any particular reason you're sitting here by yourself?"

"Avoiding Princess Leia."

The other woman (who knew how old she was!) barked a humorless laugh.

"Well, that makes two of us. I just came here to avoid Lando."

"Problems between you two?"

"I don't know… One second, it was perfect…the next… It's not that he's not being nice; far from it."

"So, it's not his issue?"

"No, I know it's me, but my problem can't be solved so easily." Larian raised an eyebrow. "It's a complicated Jedi fate thing. I find it mind-boggling!"

"For me, it's just a typical best-gets-it-all situation. I should never have imagined that I could compete with a Princess."

Elaina opened her mouth as if to say something, but snapped it shut, leaned on the table, and acted as if she was resting just as suddenly. A few seconds later, the reason for the action entered, headed for the bench nearby, and laid down on her stomach before looking up at the nurse, obviously wondering what the slight glare was for. It wasn't until after she seemed to be shocked by something and looked rather bewildered at the other girl that the Princess spoke, rolling into a sitting position.

"So, Larian, Elaina tells me that you have some jealousy issues." For some reason, it was Elaina who took the opportunity to lift her head, stick her tongue out at the brunette, and walk out towards the cockpit. She actually stuck her tongue out! And at the Princess, of all people! "Larian, I think a few explanations are in order."

"Oh, I don't see any reason, Your Highness," the nurse replied, staring at the board.

"Ah! You're as bad as the good captain! Just call me Leia, please. You're a civilian, not an officer."

"Why, did Elaina threaten a switching if you weren't nice to me?"

"Suck up your own pride, for once, and listen! I'm talking to you as someone who wants to be your friend. Don't make me an enemy just because I'm your superior in the Rebellion."

"Why would I do that?"

"You may not have much experience with Elaina's Jedi quarks, but she has the ability to talk with her mind. I was surprised because she usually only uses it in emergency situations. Anyway, that's why she acted the way she did just now."

"Your point?"

"She told me about your feelings for Luke." Larian tensed for the coming catfight. "There's reason for you to feel jealous over something that's not there."

She blinked a few times.

"What?"

"Yes, I love Luke, but only as friend. I love Han. And I think Luke has feelings for you, too. He just isn't showing it for some reason."

Larian stared blankly at the wall for a moment. Leia didn't have a claim…and he had feelings for her! How was it possible?

"I know this sounds stupid…but…does anyone else…?"

"…have a claim on him?" the Princess finished, smiling. "No. You have full reign."

The girl grinned. She couldn't help it!

Leia motioned to the board.

"You want to play a game? R2 and Chewie seem to rather enjoy it."

"I accept your challenge."

* * *

Elaina rose from the passenger seat as soon as the _Falcon_ landed in the primary launch bay, but stopped when Han turned around and gave her an indecipherable look.

"What?" she queried.

"Is there something going on between you and Lando? I've been out of it for a while, but I can at least tell that there's some chemistry going on there."

The blonde scowled darkly. Surprisingly, the Ally seemed to share the annoyance. The captain was lucky that the other didn't have momentary control.

"Even if there was 'chemistry' before, it's no longer there. My love life is of no concern to you."

"Well, Lando's my friend, so I do have the right to stick my nose in his business, and your affairs are a concern to me because you're Leia's bodyguard, though that term doesn't seem to mean much to you."

Glowering, she turned towards the exit.

"It's over."

"May I ask why?"

"You can tell him that it's my problem, not his." With that, she stalked out, encountering Larian on the way. "Are you headed to the infirmary?"

The other girl looked a bit stunned.

"Uh, yeah…I need to check in, but then I was going to take a shower and change."

"I'll join you." Anything to avoid Lando's sad, questioning eyes.

A few minutes later, they had almost reached the medical center, but Larian was as bad as her sister when it came to reading people's emotions.

"How are things with you and Lando?"

The Jedi stopped and threw her hands in the air.

"Ah! What is it with people? There is no me and Lando anymore! It's over, done, out the window."

"Somehow, I doubt that. I probably shouldn't tell you, but the entire nurse population was betting on when you two were going to get engaged." Elaina pursed her lips and the nurse merely shrugged. "I had a week from now. Come on, I'm not my sister. I didn't getting training for psychology in both the military and medical fields. But I can tell that something more is going on than just some tiff between a courting couple."

_At last finished with her task, Elaina re-covered the machine with a cloak of moss and straightened. Nothing had changed, except that the forest had taken over the clearing and the metal door of the complex was nearly rusted beyond help. The shield generator just outside that a certain Jedi had destroyed to release two renegade girls was still sitting just outside the door. She noted it while backing away to make sure that the site seemed undisturbed. _

_Turning around, she chuckled remembering when Kelly had thrown Obi-Wan into that exact tree when he assumed they were just padawans. Between Obi-Wan's jealousy over still being a learner at…twenty, was it?...and Kelly's pathetic cover for her attraction…_

"All right, dear sister, that's enough flirting. Get him down from there."

"_Those were the days," she whispered._

_Hearing a twig snap, the girl whirled around, suddenly faced by someone most unexpected: Lando._

"_When Kelly said she didn't know where you were, it took me quite a while to track you here," he stated, softly approaching. "I was hoping to get a tour of your home and instead got a tour of the entire galaxy while doing a treasure hunt. It seems I found the prize…but might I ask your reason for coming to such places?"_

_Elaina relaxed and went to give the man a hug. She needed it._

"_Lando…have you ever done something that you couldn't tell anyone about…that hurt you more than anything to do, even though it seemed acceptable before…but it would be better for everyone after it was done…?" _

_She wasn't sure if that made sense, but he seemed to understand._

"_When I first met you, Vader demanded Han, you, and the others in exchange for the safety of my people. Though the deal seemed to just get worse and worse, especially after I got to know you, I had to follow along to a certain point to keep everyone protected."_

"_But your situation didn't involve an entire galaxy."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

_She buried her head in his chest._

"_Lando…whatever happens in the coming future, know that I love you. Just like what you had to do on Cloud City, some things may not make sense to you. Whatever happens, I love you. I always have and always will. Don't forget that."_

The older woman sighed.

"Like I told Han, it's me, not him. There are things I have to do that…won't be easy…and they'll be harder with him. I couldn't keep him out of the loop and I can't tell, so I have to step back."

"While you're not making any sense, El, you're hurting him. I know that much. Step back if you need some space, but don't break his heart for a secret. I at least know that he can live with a secret if it means being with you."

Shaking her head, Elaina bee-lined her way to her quarters.

How would this end?

* * *

"You have to do it, Luke," Kelly stated, completely oblivious to her husband's invisible presence.

"No…he's your own brother, Kelly! How could you say something like that?"

"You made that connection, did you?"

"Why can't you do something about it?"

"I did my part with Vader. I helped him become what he is. This is your test, the barrier you must break to become a true Jedi. It is your task alone. The Emperor is the one my quarry is with."

With that, Luke went straight to his ship. Kelly hesitated in following.

"What happened to not telling him?"

"Yoda had no choice. Luke would have been in endless conflict if we did not reveal that."

"All this worry for nothing."

A moment later, the aunt approached the mourning boy. Obi-Wan still had yet to reveal himself. It wasn't as if he could be afraid of her taking a swing at him…but she would certainly try, in her present mood. Kelly never liked secrets. Most of the time, she was all right if she knew what was being kept confidential, but, in this case, she had viewed it as unfair to everyone to jump through so many hoops just to keep the truth from Luke. For all they knew, a battle was stirring in Luke against the dark side just because of the hate he potentially felt towards Vader…according to what everyone had told him, Vader was responsible for his father's death.

"I can't do it, R2," the padawan said simply. "I can't go on alone."

"Yoda will always be with you," put in the dead man, appearing outside of Kelly's reach.

"Obi-Wan!" Seeing his, in fact, uncle, Luke stopped what he was doing and approached. "Why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."

Perhaps Kelly's wrath would die as he smoothed the young man's ruffled feathers. Sitting down, Obi-Wan commenced an explanation of his word choices, watching from the corner of his eye as Kelly grudgingly came nearer to also hear.

"Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true…from a certain point of view."

"A certain point of view?"

Perhaps this would not be as easy as predicted. He sat down on a nearby rock.

"Luke…you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. Anakin was a good friend. When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot, but I was amazed how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong."

"There is still good in him," Luke insisted. Obi-Wan shook his head at how similar his opinions were to Elaina and he could tell Kelly was thinking the same.

"He's more machine, now, than man…twisted and evil."

"I can't do it, Ben."

"You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again."

"I can't kill my own father."

"Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope."

"What about Kelly or Elaina! Surely, they can…"

Luke stopped, knowing that protest in that direction was useless.

"Kelly fell to the dark side some time before Vader. It took Elaina's nearly dying, my presence, and the knowledge of Anakin's fall to turn her back. The Emperor may still have a hold over her that we know nothing about. We cannot risk her falling into his hands again."

"And Elaina?"

"Few know what the Emperor's Ally does and only its victims can describe the true symptoms, but Elaina may be even less capable of holding out against the Emperor's will. Her turning would be yet another disaster."

There was a slight pause.

"Yoda spoke of another."

"The other he spoke of is your twin sister."

"…but I have no sister."

"To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. Kelly and I went to Tatooine to watch over you. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous."

"Leia! Leia's my sister."

"Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

"Elaina went with Leia."

"Indeed she did," Obi-Wan confirmed, looking to his wife, whose angry complexion had softened considerably. "When Senator Organa offered to adopt Leia, he also offered Elaina to come with him as a guardian and teacher. As part of her teaching, Elaina was able to integrate a fair amount of Jedi training into the princess's education, and additionally keep her safe from the Emperor."

"Why did she leave when she could have stayed with you?"

At that, the ghost looked helplessly to Kelly, who sighed and came closer to add her piece.

"Elaina and I…were very close until the Emperor began enacting his plans for domination, ten years before the Clone Wars. Both of us were in love with Obi-Wan; she was skeptical of Palpatine, I idolized him. Finally, during the Great Purge, while Obi-Wan dueled Vader in a final attempt to halt the Emperor's foothold, Elaina fought me. I almost killed her. I guess, between her love for Obi-Wan and the fact that I felt absolutely terrible, she didn't want to make all our lives miserable by sticking around." She looked up. "She almost died to bring me back. I owe her everything. I owe Obi-Wan everything."

Finished, she sadly smiled at Ben in a silent admission of forgiveness.

* * *

_"Well, you definitely did a number on yourself, again," the woman concluded after a moment. "You know, sometimes I think you injure yourself on purpose just to come here."_

_"On purpose? You're crazy! Why would I __want__ to come to the infirmary?"_

_A small smile simply crossed her face, as if words were not necessary, while she grabbed an actual wrist brace._

_SSSSS_

_Jay seemed the average tough, middle-aged, smart woman she played when in action on the field or in surgery; however, curled up in the little chair, sound asleep, she seemed not much older than him…of course, he had seen through the commanding façade continuously, but it simply stood out more, momentarily. She seemed so innocent and vulnerable. He went to swipe a strand of black hair from her face._

_"Good morning," she murmured, apparently completely oblivious of the man's moving of the offensive tress._

_SSSSS_

_She had just disclosed to him her life story. He couldn't even imagine his family being killed right in front of him…and to be as calm and collected as Jaylyn. Her strength was stunning!_

_"You…" He was at a loss for words. "You're amazing!"_

_She scoffed and got up to stretch her legs._

_"Hardly, but thanks for the effort."_

_SSSSS_

_"Wait! Qui-Gon, I have to tell you something."_

_"Hurry, they're getting closer," he murmured, glancing at the now shaking entrance._

_"I love you."_

_SSSSS_

_Qui-Gon opened the door to a small officers' lounge on the headquarters frigate that was rarely used. Jay gasped as the opening revealed a large viewing window beyond a small, round table with a silver tablecloth, two tall, white candles, two porcelain plates, glittering silverware, and shining glasses. Taking up the center of the surface were all kinds of delicious-looking, steaming dishes and fruit of numerous kinds, the last of which the head cook had just finished putting in place. Additionally, at least a hundred tiny lights were strung about the room, giving it quite the romantic atmosphere. With one last straightening of a chair, the cook departed, winking at the young man on the way out._

"_Qui-Gon, I thought, when you asked me to dinner, that we were just going to the mess or something, but this…it's beautiful! I couldn't have imagined any better."_

_She then flattered him with a kiss on the cheek before he offered her a chair and proceeded to pour her a drink. Upon tasting it, the girl swirled it slightly in the glass, saying,_

"_Is it Tihaar that has the dark color? I haven't been to Mandalore in a while."_

"_No, I got this during a mission there last year. I thought I might need something special for who knew what and didn't consider Tihaar as a good choice, since I didn't want to get drunk after one sip." They laughed at the thought, Qui-Gon more out of nervousness. "Anyway, this is Black Ale. It's not as common, but I liked the flavor."_

"_I must say you have good taste."_

"_I think I can say that for at least one thing."_

_Jaylyn looked a little confused at the statement and the intense eye contact that came with it. _

"_What are you talking about?"_

_Forcing himself to toughen up, the man got up, stepped in front of the doctor, and knelt down on one knee. The room's other occupant took a sharp breath of air._

"_Jay, before I came to the Rebellion, I was content with my home, my family…but then, I became restless, as if something was urging me to seek out the means to help destroy the Empire. Then I met you. You were smart, tough, and thrifty, but caring, understanding, and patient. I realized that, while I did become restless from wanting to do something for the galaxy, my heart was also calling me here, to you. _

"_I know now that there is only one person who can make my life complete. You showed me that on Cloud City when you brought me back from the edge of ruin…when no one else could have." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden box with leaf carvings across its top. She wasn't breathing at all, now. "That one person, if she wishes, can join me on a timeless journey as we work together to better the universe, whether in a small way or a big way. Now that I've recited my rehearsed intro…" The woman gasped in what seemed to be both a laugh and a sob. "…Jaylyn Erassa, will you marry me?"_

_Ignoring the carefully balanced container in Qui-Gon's hand, Jay launched herself into his arms, eyes shining and face beaming._

"_Qui-Gon," she whispered breathlessly after a moment, pulling away slightly, "what took you so long to ask?"_

_Instead of answering, he went for the kiss he had been longing for, simultaneously exposing the simple silver ring and slipping it onto her finger. She still paid it no mind…at this point, neither did he. In a moment, they would go back to their dinner, but, for now, he was just content to think that, perhaps, everything would be all right in the end._

Nothing was right, now. She was gone! He was going to save her. He had to save her!

But what would Jay want? Would she want him to go gallivanting after her into a definite trap? Of course not!

But he couldn't let the Emperor do this! It was a battle of wills; man versus man. Bringing Jay into it and threatening her life was a dirty trick belonging to cowards!

He was playing the blind-eyed fool by running headlong into disaster.

**Would you rather live knowing that she died because you were too much of a coward to face the Emperor, or would you rather die knowing that she was safe?**

The answer was perfectly obviously.

"Don't worry, Zed," he told the companionable droid. "We'll be there soon enough. This zipper may be slow, but she'll get us there. We'll make it."

Thanks for reading and please review!


	35. Love Never Dies

Thanks I love dance, Katie Ladmoore, and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Rascal Flatts' "It's Not Just Me" is for scene 1, Jackie Chan's "Endless Love" (yes, it's in Chinese and it's a duet) is for scene 2, and Mason Jennings' "Which Way Your Heart Will Go" is with scene 3…

Love Never Dies

"_Kelly," Luke began as the Rebellion fleet came into view, "how could Elaina have just…left you like that, without warning? From what I heard, it wasn't exactly a planned thing."_

"_I told you before that I nearly killed her and Leia needed protection. Honestly, you'd have to ask her, but you can't expect her to have the happiest of reactions about you knowing the truth." She hesitated. "Years ago, she told me that we would be far from happy with her around. You must understand that both of us had been in love with Obi-Wan for years._

"_We made an agreement that we would see which of us he loved. Elaina confessed her feelings before I had the chance. Basically, he loved me and things were forever awkward after that. In truth, I doubt that even that was the real reason. She mentioned something about a promise, but I never…" The boy nodded vaguely, at least having an understanding of the trials his family had faced so long ago. She promptly changed the subject. "What do you know of the rules of the old order?"_

"_Uh…not much."_

"_Good, 'cause there's one thing I want you to do that doesn't exactly match up with those rules, though I always took them as more…guidelines…"_

Luke walked through the halls, not sure whether to go straight to find Leia and the others or to take Kelly's advice. Not yet prepared to face his next mission, he chose the latter, going straight for the infirmary.

While the halls had been nearly void of any excitement, other than an overly loaded scientist dropping his papers, the infirmary was a mad house. Nurses and doctors were bustling around attending to about a dozen people on the gurneys.

"What happened?" he questioned a passing nurse.

"An accident in engineering…burns…"

"Where's Nurse Erassa?"

"Surgery," she replied before rushing off.

Only a few moments later, one doctor and three nurses emerged from a nearby door.

"Jen, Anise," he addressed two of them, "you're in charge of cleaning and bringing that boy into post op. Larian, you go rest and clean yourself up. You shouldn't even be here until tomorrow. Do something to get your mind off things."

"Yes, Doctor," they replied.

"Larian," the man continued as the remaining girl began removing her surgical gear, "I'd like to see you in my office before you check in again."

"Yes, Sir."

Tossing her gloves and other coverings into a container on the wall, Larian sighed dejectedly and scrubbed her fingers through her hair before heading for the exit, whereupon she encountered Luke. She was still wearing the skimpy clothes from earlier.

"Lu…Commander Skywalker!" she stuttered, clearly exhausted, though surprised. "What are you doing here? Did you just get back?"

"Kelly and I just landed a few minutes ago," was the congenial reply. "I thought I'd burn a few minutes before seeing how the plans for our next step were going."

"Ah…did you happen to hear any news on your detour?"

He could tell from the lip-chewing that the girl was talking of her sister.

"The planet I went to wasn't exactly the type you'd get new news from." She just nodded her head. "Do you mind if I escort you to your quarters? You look ready to fall over any second."

She laughed slightly (an affecting laugh) and looked to another woman sitting behind a desk doing paperwork.

"Nell, can you check me out, please? I won't be back again until my next shift tomorrow, or the attack, whichever comes first." Then, she looked back at the young man. "Shall we?"

Halfway to the living area, the two people were still in an awkward silence…that is, until they reached a small café/bar called _The Quibbling Sparrow_.

"Would you like a drink before we get there?"

Larian raised an eyebrow.

"I don't drink much…if at all."

Luke stopped dead in his tracks.

"Believe me; you look like you need it."

Looking longingly down the hall one last time, the girl went with him into the establishment, where they went straight to ordering beverages. Surprisingly, the nurse ordered one of the stronger drinks available. His jaw practically dropped when she took an oversized sip the second it came into her hands and didn't seem even somewhat affected. She giggled slightly.

"I said that I don't drink much. I never said anything about potency. When I was a slave, my…captors were drunk a good chunk of the time. I don't know…it doesn't affect me like it does other people."

She flipped a stray blond snip of hair out of her face. Luke had never discovered how both of the Erassa sisters had two-toned hair. He had never bothered to really notice, but she was incredibly pretty. Her eyes were noticeably expressive and, at the moment, she was more troubled than she let on.

"Are you all right?"

Larian barked a laugh and got up from the counter, turning to go.

"My sister has been captured by the Empire, I'm exhausted, we're about to start the most magnificent space battle in my lifetime, and the man I love only sees me as a little nurse with something in her eye and a flippant secret to smile about. This dream is nice, but he's barely even looked at me. Regardless of what Leia may think, he's never going to fall for a lowly medical assistant when he has her to woo after. Just because she loves Han doesn't mean that he won't stop mooning after a princess."

Though she looked perfectly stable when walking out of the café, Luke wondered if the combination of a sip of a drink and sleep deprivation had affected her a little more than she thought. Still, Larian had just inadvertently told him the secrets of her troubles. She had loved him for longer than he thought. He had the proof Kelly had wanted him to find for himself.

Little did anyone know, every time he saw her lately, something jumped inside him. They loved each other. Now what?

* * *

"Kelly!"

The brunette whirled around on her way to her quarters for a nice bath to see Han jogging towards her. She purposefully looked expectant of something worth her time as he screeched to a halt in front of her.

"What's the matter? If you want a running partner, I smell bad enough. I don't even remember the last time I needed a shower this much."

"You just got back?"

"Yeah?"

"Something's wrong with Elaina."

"Something's always wrong with Elaina! Be more specific."

"She's acting even stranger than usual. From what I hear, things were going just fine between her and Lando when she just suddenly shied away from him during the rescue mission."

"He was being a bit of a jerk."

"But he has good reason for that. She doesn't! She told me it was her problem, not his…but something's up."

"And you're telling me this…why?"

"Kelly, you really need to talk to her. Lando's on the verge of being a wreck. He tried her door twice, but, the first time, she yelled at him and, the second, she didn't even answer. I don't know. Maybe Elaina underwent some major personality change while I was out…but, this is ridiculous! It seems that you're the only one available that she'll listen to with Leia busy with planning the attack and Jay gone."

"I'm honored," she grumbled.

"Here's something else as leverage to convince you. I heard that she did something long ago that you owe her for. This is the perfect opportunity to repay that."

Kelly pursed her lips, thinking of warm water running down her back, but finally nodded.

"I'll see if I can knock some sense into her."

"Thank you. I don't think I can stand Lando's sulking for another minute. Oh, you'll be at the briefing in an hour, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it…" As the captain disappeared around a corner, Kelly became aware of a presence nearby. "It seems that our relationship is the only grounded one…and you're dead!"

Obi-Wan chuckled beside her.

"It does seem that way."

"Our love will last forever. That I know."

"Becoming sentimental with your age, my dear?"

"I'm worried."

"Have faith."

"Ha! Famous last words."

"Kelly…" Her mood lightened by the visitor, she smiled at the ghost's hesitance as she continued her trip to her sister's quarters. "…have you seen any visions lately…of the future?"

"Not enough to make any sense out of. Why?"

"Oh…I was hoping that you were able to see something of what Elaina's…meddling will do."

"What do you mean?"

"Some things that she has done…no, I cannot tell you. Do you remember when you told me about there being statues of us on Naboo?"

"One statue…molded into more than one figure…"

_R2's persistent whistle then brought her attention to behind her at the opposing statuette. There were five figures, the tallest of which stood at about two feet. It was a man with shoulder-length hair, a set jaw, and powerful build; he was holding an engaged lightsaber in preparation for an unforeseeable attack. In front of him was a small, sweet-looking boy, standing as if he would race into battle if not for the man's free hand on his shoulder. About two inches to the tall man's right was another, somewhat shorter one. His hair was cut short with a long, thin braid coming from behind his right ear. He had a lightsaber held with both hands out in front of him, his gentle face grim with determination._

_Between him and the tallest figure was a pant-wearing woman with shoulder-length hair and a lightsaber in her hands also; however, it was pointed downwards in idle waiting. Her smirking face was slightly turned towards the shorter man. Finally, there was a second girl on the other side of the first female's center of attention, a bit shorter than the other one and with longer hair. Unlike the other three like her, she was not holding a lightsaber, although two were evident on her belt. Instead, she was slightly more forward than her companions, her arms held somewhat away from her sides, as if to somehow protect her friends with a less destructive method, though the action went unnoticed it seemed, and her face was a blank slate emotion-wise. Remaining pieces of battle droids were scattered around their feet._

_Having concluded the fine-detailed analysis, the observer noted the identities of the people depicted: Qui-Gon, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Kelly-Fyn, and Elaina, respectively. Kelly had never imagined that she would really be honored by a statue, but then it dawned on her about the meanings of the twins' appearances. She herself was ready and waiting for action, but always thinking of Obi-Wan. Elaina's statue even seemed to be harder to translate, however. Whatever she had been thinking at the time the artist decided to depict her was impossible to definitely point out; although, outwardly, the girl seemed to be defending all of her group in general._

_What was she thinking? Kelly knew what…probably about Obi-Wan: the man they __both__ loved. It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair._

She knocked on the door. No answer. Entering the quarters, Kelly caught sight of her sibling standing at her window, looking out at the fighters being tested for battle-readiness.

"Liberty died with thunderous applause. It will be restored with the thunder of guns, pain, and lamentation."

"If you want to see lamentation and pain, El, all you have to do is find Lando. He's a wreck! Everybody's worried about him."

"He needn't be. It's better this way."

Kelly moved next to her twin, who had yet to look at her.

"I think not. He's miserable and you're acting weird…well, more so than usual. Come on, Elaina! What happened to the girl who was so desperate for love that she actually made the first move with Obi-Wan?"

Elaina grimaced, obviously thinking about how old the dead man looked after over twenty years, causing the brunette to laugh.

"She's not the same. The Ally has changed her." With that, she looked around suspiciously. "Where's your dearly beloved?"

"Oh, he left at the door."

"That doesn't mean he actually left."

"He always wants to know that I'm all right. That's how Lando feels about you. You need to snap out of this so the two of you can face the end together."

"What's coming is something I must do alone."

"Don't ruin everything because of some Jedi thing! I know that."

Nodding her head stiffly, the blonde walked out, leaving Kelly standing at the window.

"Remember when we were like that?" Obi-Wan asked softly, looking down at the girl as she gazed at the stars.

"I never doubted my love for you, though I can't say the same for you."

He looked away for a moment.

"Have you ever thought of moving on…finding someone living who could truly love you?"

"Hm. I never did believe in that 'til death do us part' drabble." The man's lips parted in surprise. "I will love you and be faithful to you until death do us reunite. There can be no other, Obi-Wan. One day, soon I hope, we will be together forever!"

"Not too soon, I pray."

"But I do!"

"Don't do anything rash just for a love that is already granted, Kelly."

"I can't make any promises."

* * *

Slipping into the strangely named bar and pulling her hair into a loose ponytail, the woman quickly spotted an unexpected sight. Approaching him, she slid onto a stool as he sipped his drink.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost, Luke."

He glanced up.

"I'm not the only one."

Then, he just got up and walked away. A second later, she saw her reason for being in a bar. Lando was standing at a large back window, faced away from everyone and seemingly enthralled by the newly acquired fighters outside as they were tested by their pilots.

Taking a deep breath, Elaina chugged the rest of Luke's abandoned beverage before getting up and approaching the man. As much as she knew it would hurt her to keep that one secret from him, especially since he had almost discovered it on Aikhibba, Kelly was right. She couldn't avoid feelings like that. She couldn't bear to break Lando's heart over a secret. She couldn't go on alone. Not yet. Not when she felt so vulnerable.

"Lando?"

He turned his head to look down at her. In his eyes was a questioning sadness that ripped her heart to shreds.

If she was doing what was needed to save what had been lost, why did it seem as if it was causing more pain than ever? Why did everything seem to be disappearing more so than before? Was she clinging to something that could not be recovered and merely paying for her mistakes with more loss? Were Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon right? Was this the reason for her father's silence? Was it worth this?

She had lost everything: her family, her career, her respect as a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan… But, through all of that, she had gained the opportunity to practically raise Leia, a career as the bodyguard of the Princess of Alderaan and a not-so-conventional general of the Rebellion, the respect of all those under her command and many, many others, and the apparently undying love of Lando Calrissian. What would she lose by reclaiming the past? Her only option seemed to be to enjoy the present while she could and hope that everything turned out all right in the end.

"Lando…" she repeated finally, positioning herself only a few inches away from him and watching one of the fighters perform a controlled spin. "I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. I did it because I didn't want to hurt you with…my secrets. I know now that I have only hurt you more by trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" he quietly protested.

She looked deep into those eyes. They were nothing like Obi-Wan's. Their depths belonged to her alone and she knew it. They would put anything and everything aside for her alone. They didn't care that she had the lives of everyone and everything in her hands.

"From myself."

"If you're talking about the Ally, you're being ridiculous."

Honestly, Elaina couldn't deny it. The always-present entity in her mind had completely backed off from its attacks against Lando ever since she had told him to, basically, buzz off. Were they truly becoming one: the slave and the Jedi? In fact, the Ally was nowhere in sight.

"Lando, you know that there are certain things that I can never tell you in my lifetime."

"Honestly, I don't blame you for your secrets. You've lived with them your whole life. But, frankly, I don't care."

She nodded…it was only fair.

"There are certain secrets that I can tell you."

"There is only one that I want to know. What was the real reason for you going a separate way from that of Kelly after the Great Purge? Was it because you were jealous of her?"

Suddenly, his voice had become slightly hostile.

"Kelly must have told Luke and Luke must have told you about my infatuation with Obi-Wan Kenobi." He just looked expectant. "Obi-Wan rejecting me was incredibly…humiliating, to say the least…but, it wasn't my primary reason for following my duty and taking responsibility for Leia." He slightly flinched remorsefully at the logic. "Just as few people know of this secret as of…the secret that presses upon me now. My somewhat strange actions were because of a promise…"

_"Elaina, if it comes down to it, will you protect at least one of my children? It's a lot to ask, but I have the feeling from the look in your eyes that it will be necessary."_

_"What makes you think such things, Padme? You will be all right…however, if you must __choose__ which child to attend the most…I will do what I can for the other…with my life. I swear that."_

"What was it?"

The blonde shook her head, remembering her reasons for why she was doing all of this and reclaiming her resolve. Just then, she bit her tongue. She couldn't tell him the whole truth without revealing everything.

"I promised Leia's mother that I would care for her if she could not."

In that moment, the Ally reappeared with a scolding look.

"**Even now, when the opportunity comes to bare your soul, you cannot allow yourself the pleasure of releasing your burdens.**"

She wanted to tell the Ally that she was her burden, but it would have to wait. Lando, however, must have noticed her glance to the side. It relieved her that he knew when to change the subject.

"Have you found a name for the Ally?"

Elaina smiled to herself. Keeping secrets did have their moments of satisfaction, however grim.

"Arabella," she replied slowly, relishing the thought of finally releasing the name, for which only she knew the reason. "…among other things, it means 'answered prayer'."

Lando just shook his head at her independent and unnatural thinking and put his arm around her shoulders, allowing a few minutes of peace before they would join the others in deciding the fate of the galaxy. There would come a point when she would have to stand up to her fate alone…but not yet.

Thanks for reading and please review and vote!


	36. Into the Fire

Thanks Katie Ladmoore, I love dance, and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

Into the Fire

Leia sighed in relief and gave Han a slight jab in the ribs when she caught sight of Lando and Elaina pushing their way through the crowd in the briefing room towards the princess and captain. As people finally began to sort their way toward the seats, Han approached them while the princess continued a separate conversation with a pilot, though her attention was mainly on the men.

"Well, look at you: a general!" Han noted as the blonde removed her hand from Lando's and sat down.

"Oh, well, someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the battle of Taanab," the other man scolded pointedly.

"Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were looking for somebody to lead this crazy attack."

They both looked at Elaina, who guiltily shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it."

"Well, who says they didn't," was the reply as he moved to sit as well, "but I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?"

The girl studied her bodyguard as Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar presented the plan. Risky was the lightest of possible descriptions for it. Because she had played a large part in concocting the plan, listening to the lecture was not highly necessary. Somehow, there was something a little different about Elaina. Even though they were discussing the fate of every creature in the galaxy, she seemed more content than she had ever seen. While crunching her eyes in concern over the plan, Elaina took a deep, peaceful breath as Lando covertly slipped his hand over hers…well, not so covertly, since Leia could plainly see it. At least the ol' lady would no longer be making everyone else pay for her stubborn misery.

The room already relit, the Admiral pointed to Lando, concluding,

"General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack."

"Good luck," Han said to his old friend. "You're gonna need it."

"General Madine…"

While another commander stepped forward to speak, something like a cloud seemed to come over her mentor.

"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."

That caused quite the stir among the crowd. That was a part of the plan that Leia had taken no part in. She wondered who it was… Leaning over to the man she loved, the girl murmured her thoughts.

"I wonder who they found to pull that off."

The prompt answer wasn't quite as she had expected.

"General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"

Looking a little self-conscious, especially with Leia gaping at him, the named man looked around prior to replying.

"Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle." Chewie growled and gruffly raised his hand. "Well, it's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you." The Wookiee merely snarled again. "That's one."

"General," Leia offered, smiling, "…count me in."

"That's two."

"Make that three," Elaina said calmly, looking at nothing in particular.

"We're with you, too!" someone called from the entrance behind the group.

Running to embrace Luke, the princess quickly noticed his slightly distant air, not unlike that of Elaina.

"What is it?" she questioned worriedly, still smiling.

"Ask me again sometime."

Still confused, she looked to Kelly, who had entered with young man. The other brunette just grinned and… Leia rolled her eyes. The shrugging was getting a bit old.

* * *

As she neared the shuttle, adjusting the camouflage parka on her shoulders, Elaina came upon an apparent argument between Han and Lando.

"I mean it. Take her! You need all the help you can get. She's the fastest ship in the fleet."

"All right, old buddy. You know, I know what she means to you. I'll take good care of her. She…she won't get a scratch."

"Right…" With that, the team leader began ascending the ramp before turning around skeptically. "I got your promise, now: not a scratch."

"Look, would you get going, you pirate! Good luck."

"You too."

"Hey," the girl said, coming to his attention with her hand on his arm. "You be careful. You hear me?"

"I should be the concerned one," he answered with a crooked smile.

"You haven't had to go through losing the one you loved before. Once is enough."

"I already lost the one I loved. I beg you not to do that to me again."

She smirked good-humoredly, winking.

"We shall see, my dear."

Without further ado, he pulled her into a short hug.

"Take care."

Though Elaina kept the calm plastered on her face as she entered the little ship, she was panicking inside. She wanted to run back to him and never let him go. He would never forgive her…not that any of that really mattered at this point.

"Hey, are you awake?" Leia asked the driver.

"Yeah," he replied, looking at the _Falcon_, "I just got a funny feeling…like I'm not gonna see her again."

"Come on, General, let's move."

"Right. Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready, everybody?"

Elaina gulped, desperately longing for her father's presence. Little did Han know, he was partially right. Some of them would not see another sun rise.

* * *

"What is thy bidding, my Master?"

The black death calmly stood before his superior, anticipating the nearing victories with both anticipation and dread.

"Send the fleet to the far side of Endor. There it will stay until called for."

"What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?"

"It is of no concern. Soon the Rebellion will be crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us!"

The spite in the voice was cringe-worthy to any coward.

"What of the boy?"

"He will join us or face the consequences. Your work here is finished, my friend. Go out to the command ship and await my orders."

"Yes, my Master."

Contemplating unwanted memories, as he had often done lately, Vader made his way to the transport. It surprised and disgusted him that they had yet to find a more efficient way of moving people over short distances. All he would need…no, there was no time to bother with such frivolities.

As bonded to the dark side as he had become, the man-machine still found it disconcerting…the Emperor's plan for his nephew's fate…not the one who could destroy everything by blood alone, but Kelly's son. Did Qui-Gon deserve to know the pain most of his family had known? Elaina had lost Obi-Wan through rejection, Kelly through death, Anakin through betrayal…Padme!

"_The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me!"_

"_I don't know you anymore! Anakin…you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I can't follow."_

_SSS_

"_Stop! Stop, now! Come back! I love you!"_

"_Liar!"_

"_No!"_

"_You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!"_

"_No!"_

_SSS_

"_It seems, in your anger, you killed her."_

"_I…I couldn't have. She was alive! I felt it!"_

_Pain, sorrow, anguish, hate, guilt…_

"_No!"_

No!

No…he couldn't think of that… Too much pain…too late…

"Sir, are you all right?"

Vader looked at the imposing commander and merely got up and walked to the bridge.

Luke…he felt his presence as clear as day. Stepping to a nearby tracking screen, Vader studied the incoming shuttle's schematics.

"Where is that shuttle going?" he asked.

"Shuttle Tydirium," Piett requested, "what is you cargo and destination?"

"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon," came the filtered reply.

"Do they have a code clearance?" the Sith persisted.

"It's an older code, sir, but it checks out. I was about to clear them," the Admiral covered. Vader took a moment to decipher the proper action. "Shall I hold them?"

"No. Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself."

"As you wish, my lord."

"Shuttle Tydirium," the controller ordered, "deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."

He would have to consult with the Emperor on the matter. Luke's presence had not been predicted for this.

* * *

As her companions exited down the ship's ramp, Leia went back to the cockpit where Elaina was leaning conspicuously over the consol. The low braid in the blonde's pin-straight hair was already coming undone.

"Elaina?" Her stunned recovery over being caught doing…whatever was rather humorous and brought a little smile from both women.

"Did you need something, Princess?" was the respectful reply.

"I just wanted to say that I'm happy for you. Especially after I fell in love with Han, I was worried that you were torturing yourself for nothing."

The bodyguard bent her head humbly.

"I'm just glad that my foolishness didn't affect your own prospect of romance. I was honestly quite concerned for a long time." Leia nodded and turned to go, having said what was needed, but looked back again when the other girl spoke. "Leia…I know I haven't been very vigilant in my duties as your protector, as of late. I mean to rectify that."

"Apology accepted."

Once again, the princess moved to go, but was again halted.

"Leia…I'm proud of the woman and leader you've become. I don't know if I ever made that clear."

"Thank you…" Beginning to be concerned for her friend's sudden sentimental attitude, Leia finally exited the craft and followed the team into the forest.

Only minutes later, as they traversed the dense underbrush, Han spotted two Imperial scouts wandering around beyond the hill. Nearby were a few rocket bikes, which obviously caught Kelly's eye.

"Shall we try and go around?" the princess asked.

"It'll take time," Luke pointed out.

"This whole party'll be for nothing if they see us," Han finished. "Chewie and I will take care of this. You stay here."

"Quietly! There might be more of them out there."

"Hey! It's me!"

No one appeared satisfied by the attempted encouragement, but it was the widow who voiced the general feeling.

"Han being Han…that's just the problem." With that, the brunette scurried away into the bushes after the captain.

"Kelly!" Luke called.

Leia rolled her eyes to Elaina...who merely shrugged.

"Did she always used to do that when you two worked together?" the younger girl questioned.

Sucking her cheeks in, the woman nodded, deliberately watching their companions down the hill.

The next second, one of the scouts whirled around, knocked Han against a tree, and called for the other stormtrooper to go for help. As Han engaged in a fistfight with the soldier and Chewie shot the escapee, Luke touched Leia's arm before charging off.

"Great…come on."

The second the three watchers ran onto the scene, two more scouts took off and were completely ignored by Kelly, who was busy paying no heed to Han's fight and studying the speeder bike. Calling out her alarm over the scouts, Leia hopped onto the nearest bike. Though she paid no heed to Luke telling her to wait, the young Jedi joined her on the transport just before the girl took off.

"Quick! Jam their com link. Center switch!" he ordered promptly. Of course, she complied, but it slightly annoyed her.

* * *

"Kelly!" the blonde growled as her twin leaped onto the bike she had been examining and zoomed away.

She heard Han's "hey, wait!" and a thud on the ground just prior to practically feeling a laser blast barely miss her leg. Elaina turned around, yelling "bloody, blasted," just in time to see the man knock the fighter unconscious. Quickly reacting, the girl kicked the grounded gun out of the scout's limp hand. Han just laughed at her glare.

"Come on," he chuckled. "Let's hurry up and wait. We won't be going after them any time soon."

* * *

Seeing Luke and Leia separate, Kelly made a last second decision to follow the princess. Yes, she had promised to watch over Luke…but she knew Luke could take care of himself, even going after two speeders. She, however, didn't know Leia well enough to know that…that and Elaina would kill her if anything happened to the princess. The girl's tactics quite impressed the Jedi, especially when she went flying out of sight, only to come soaring down right beside and grazing the unsuspecting enemy.

Cursing herself for her negligence upon seeing Leia fall from her speeder, Kelly surged ahead, only to stamp on the breaks when the runaway ran into a tree.

"Princess!" she yelled. She had just seen that child go sprawling. Now, where was she? "Leia!"

Kelly knew that she couldn't have gone too far. Then again, she had been using the extra speed. She had actually stopped just after the scout's crash site…but there was still no answer. If she was unconscious… The brunette stepped off of the bike to begin her search.

"Leia!"

* * *

Han carefully watched the girl sitting across from him in the brush.

"Oh, General Solo," 3PO cried, "somebody's coming."

Han and his squad prepared for ambush, only to find one of their own coming up the hill.

"Luke!" his greeted. "Where's Leia?"

"What? She didn't come back?" the boy asked.

That wasn't what any of them wanted to hear.

"I thought she was with you."

"We got separated." Elaina groaned and looked away. "Hey, we better go look for her."

Nodding, Han turned to the company commander.

"Take the squad ahead. We'll meet at the shield generator at 0300." As the other part of the group moved off, he looked back at the guardian. "Elaina? Elaina," he said a bit more firmly.

She jerked her head towards him.

"Yes, General?"

"We need your focus, right now. If you can't handle it, I can always send you with the squad."

That woke her right up. Elaina whipped out her pistol from the holster on her hip and stalked away, taking the lead.

"Wow," Luke marveled once the girl was out of hearing distance. "It actually worked!"

"Of course it worked!" the man grumbled.

* * *

"You're a jittery little thing, aren't you?" Leia commented as the little fuzz-ball once again shied away and inched back towards her. Suddenly, however, something caught its attention. "What is it?"

As the creature dove behind her, a figure came tearing through the underbrush in a panic.

"Blasted, Leia, there you are!" Kelly breathed hoarsely to the stunned girl. She jumped back, however, when the fur-face peeked out from his hiding place. "Wha…what is that?"

"This, Kelly," the princess replied, nudging the teddy bear out onto the log, "is my new friend." She looked back at the local when the other woman slowly approached. "It's okay."

"He's absolutely adorable!"

Somewhere, there was a rustle of leaves and the native jerked away, muttering something in his language.

"What is it?" both girls asked.

A moment later, a laser blast sent them all tumbling over the log. The fuzz-ball oddly rolled onto the other side of their cover as they took their guns out. A twig snapped.

"Freeze!"

* * *

"My son is with them."

"Are you sure?"

"I have felt him."

"Strange, that I have not." The Emperor paused and leaned forward. "I wonder if you feelings on this matter are clear, Lord Vader."

"They are clear, my Master."

"Then you must go to the Sanctuary Moon and wait for them."

"He will come to me?" Vader asked uncertainly.

"I have foreseen it. His compassion for you will be his undoing. He will come to you and then you will bring him before me."

The tower bowed.

"As you wish."

"Before you go and wait, however, there is one more task which must be dealt with."

That once, Anakin, not Vader, came forward and hesitated. It was wrong…but necessary.

He bowed again.

"Yes, my Master."

* * *

"Luke! Luke!" Han called as he stood with Elaina, examining a junked speeder.

"There's two more wrecked speeders back there and R2 found an undamaged one just sitting around out that way," the boy reported after running over. Then he handed the new general a familiar helmet. "And I found this."

"I'm afraid that R2's sensors can find no trace of Princess Leia," 3PO added glumly.

"How can there be 'no trace'? You didn't look hard enough! None of you have," the girl glowered pathetically, folding her arms.

"We've done the best we can," Han growled to the grouchy bodyguard before dejectedly turning back to Luke. "I hope she's all right." Suddenly, Chewbacca broke the silence with his alarmed whine. "What, Chewie? What? Chewie!"

Puzzled, the companions followed the growling Wookiee through the brush until they reached what looked like a dead creature hanging from a tall stake. Luckily, it seemed to significantly distract Elaina from her pouting.

"Hey, I don't get it," the leader pondered as they circled it. "Nah, it's just a dead animal, Chewie."

Unable to resist the temptation, Chewie grabbed for the animal and yanked on it.

"Chewie, wait! Don't!" Luke cried.

Too late.

Thanks for reading and…you know the drill. ;)


	37. Druim Nan Deur

Thanks I love dance, DragonRider2000, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews! Here's a nice long chapter to tide you over while I'm gone. While it's incredibly depressing (at the later part), I've honestly been anticipating it for quite some time. Hope you enjoy it...as much as you can with a sad happening...ok, I'll be quiet...

"Druim na deur" is Scottish Gaelic for "the ridge of tears."

Isabel Bayrakdarian's "Dle Yaman" is for scenes 4-5 and Loreena McKennitt's "Prospero's Speech" is for 11 and on…

Druim Nan Deur

"Nice work. Great, Chewie! Great…always thinking with your stomach."

"Will you take it easy?" Luke protested, his arm helplessly sticking through the net. "Let's just figure out a way to get out of this thing. Elaina?" The girl informed him of her position by stomping her heel on his stomach. As the boy slightly groaned from the hit, he heard Han chuckling behind him, which caused his head to turn slightly. It was then he realized a feminine hand waving at him through the mesh. No other part of the woman was visible since she was apparently sandwiched somewhere between the two men. "Okay, never mind. Han, can you reach my lightsaber?"

"Yeah, sure," came the sarcastic reply, followed by a few jerky tugs at the net as Han attempted to fight his way through. Elaina's muffled growl was more than necessary for everyone to know her opinion.

Suddenly, the net gave way and everyone landed with a grunt. Recovering himself, Luke began to sit up, feeling slightly sore. He was about to laugh at his aunt-apparent, who was merely laying on her back, squinting one eye at a time, when some movement in the bushes caught his attention. A few seconds later, the group was surrounded by a bunch of furry little creatures, who, after marveling at their catch for a moment, pointed their spears at the team.

"Hey!" Han protested, grabbing and shoving away a weapon in his face. "Point that thing someplace else." After arguing with another fuzz-ball for a moment, the thing returned the threat. "Hey!" the captain declared angrily, reaching for his gun.

"Han, don't," Luke interjected. "It'll be all right." Elaina was not in the least supportive as she even hissed at the native who took her gun. Comically, it hissed back. "Chewie, give 'em your crossbow," he ordered the resistant Wookiee.

The locals abruptly froze in place as 3PO sat up, groaning,

"Oh, my head. Oh, my goodness!"

After chattering to each other, the little warriors began bowing and chanting to the droid, who seemed quite flattered.

"Do you understand anything they're saying?"

"Oh, yes, Master Luke!" he replied. "Remember that I am fluent in over six million forms of communication."

As 3PO spoke shortly to his miniature subjects, Luke thought that he saw Elaina momentarily look rather forlorn. He would have to ask her about it later.

"What are you telling them?" Han questioned.

"Hello, I think…I could be mistaken. They're using a very primitive dialect…but I do believe they think I am some sort of god."

"Well, why don't you use your divine influence and get us out of this?"

"I beg your pardon, General Solo, but that just wouldn't be proper."

Luke and Elaina chuckled slight at that.

"Proper?"

"It's against my programming to impersonate a deity."

"Why you…" When Han threateningly rose in his frustration, the natives went back on offensive, redirecting their spears. The general then held his hands up in surrender, shrugging. "My mistake. He's an old friend of mine."

They didn't look very convinced.

* * *

"Hold still, Kelly!" Leia cried as the seated woman shifted again. "I've never seen a grown woman fidget so much. I'm almost done!"

"You said that five minutes ago," the other brunette grumbled. "I'm starting to regret letting my hair grow so long. If it was short, you wouldn't have so much to play with."

The princess yanked her victim's hair enough to produce a stifled yelp.

"If it was short, I would have to put all of it up to make it look right."

"You might as well have with the way you're taking your sweet time."

"I. Am. Almost. Done."

"Fine."

A moment of nothing but Kelly's growl-ish breathing passed before Leia finally tied the braid off with a string of rawhide.

"Done!"

Kelly took a moment to stare at the foggy 'mirror'. The outlining braid was a perfect copy of Leia's, except that it lacked the interlaced leather and was a few shades darker. Her dress was pretty much the same, also, though the sleeves had more of a layered look.

"It'll get in the way if we have to fight."

"No, it won't. You have your hair less done up than this quite often and it doesn't seem to bother you, then."

"Well…it does."

The girl sighed in aggravation.

"Lucky for you, this particular style goes into a bun pretty easily."

"Who bothered to take the time to teach you this stuff?"

Leia folded her arms at the Jedi's glare. She still didn't believe the story that the woman and her mentor had been passing acquaintances during the Clone Wars.

"Me being a princess, my aunts made me learn. Elaina helped me give them a more natural appearance."

"Thank the stars for that!"

Rolling her eyes at the endless sarcasm, Leia knelt down in front of her companion, suddenly turning serious.

"You and Elaina worked together in the Clone Wars."

Raising an eyebrow, Kelly stared at the speaker for a moment. She must have seen the persistent question behind the statement.

"Elaina and I didn't just work together. We were best friends…the closest thing you could get to being sisters…that is, until I fell to the Emperor." Leia's eyes popped wide open. Was she actually about to hear more than scant generalizations? "We grew and trained together and rarely were separated because both of our Masters usually stayed on Coruscant with the council. After we became Knights, though, we started training our own padawans and went our separate ways. We both fell in love with Obi-Wan. I fell to the dark side and nearly killed Elaina when she and Obi-Wan tried to stop me and Darth Vader. Obi-Wan and I went to look after Luke when his mother died in the chaos and your father asked Elaina to keep you safe. That pretty much covers it without going on for hours."

The princess stared for another moment.

"Kelly, I know that Bail Organa wasn't my real father and Queen Breha wasn't my real mother. Elaina already told me years ago. You know who my real parents are."

The older girl's jaws worked for a moment.

"Elaina knows what she's told you. She knows how to tell you. Ask her."

She skeptically narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything more, the noise outside their hut grew considerably. Glancing at each other in confusion, the women rose and moved towards the exit, meeting a rather interesting sight. All of their companions, except for 3PO, who was enthroned on a stick chair, were tied on spits as if ready for…!

The natives' hubbub caused by their emergence obviously caught the captives' attention.

"Leia!" the two men called. Leia pursed her lips as the fur-faces raised their spears at her and Kelly.

"Your Royal Highness!" 3PO addressed her. Kelly sniffed her annoyance at being ignored.

"But these are my friends," the princess protested to the natives. "3PO, tell them they must be set free."

Kelly licked her lips before saying,

"Yeah…what she said!"

The droid did as told, but he was ignored at the wood was piled with all the more vigor.

"3PO," Luke called, "tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic."

"But, Master Luke, what magic?" the machine queried. "I couldn't possibly…"

"Just tell them."

Poor 3PO did as told, but the response was the fire being brought out. Leia had to grab Kelly's arm to keep the woman from rushing onto the scene.

"You see, Master Luke, they didn't believe me, just as I said they wouldn't…" Poor 3PO. He cried in alarm as his chair floated above the ground, apparently by Luke's doing. "Put me down! Help! Master Luke! R2! Somebody, somebody, help! Master Luke, R2! R2, quickly! Do something, somebody! Oh!"

The second 3PO was landed safely, the terrified natives began untying the captives. The observing girls grinned as Han and Luke raced towards them, embracing them in a group hug. Remembering what Kelly had said about Elaina, the princess looked over Han's shoulder to peak at her guardian, who was still standing next to her spit, simultaneously rubbing her wrists and teasing one of the runts.

She had a gut feeling that something not so wonderful was about to happen.

* * *

The reunited group slowly situated themselves in the large hut, waiting for something to happen. Obviously, it had something to do with 3PO since most of the attention was on the multi-lingual can of bolts.

"Han." The General turned away from Leia to face a somewhat disturbed-looking Elaina.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

He didn't really have a choice but to excuse himself from Leia and follow the girl as she just walked out the door.

"What's up?" She looked around suspiciously, grabbing his hand and dragging him further from the door. "Elaina, what's wrong?"

"Han, I have to go. Can you cover for me?"

He did a double take.

"Wait, where could you possibly be going?"

She nervously picked moss from the handrail with her short fingernails. Out of all the aspects of Elaina's personality that Han had seen, this was a new one.

"There's something I need to take care of…alone…and I don't know…when I'll be coming back."

The former smuggler's eyebrows shot skywards.

"El, I don't know what you've most recently got in that odd head of yours, but do you mind getting to the point of why you're telling me this?"

After taking a deep breath, she looked him dead in the eyes, her hesitance seemingly at bay.

"Promise me you'll look after Leia. I know you care for her more than anything, so I know I can take your word for it. Promise me, General Solo, you'll take care of her."

Han scratched his chin, still befuddled by the female mind.

"Sure." He threw up his hands when she didn't look in the least satisfied. "I swear on the graves of every blasted fuzz-ball here that I'll protect her with my life! Happy?"

"I am satisfied…and I'll hold you to that oath." Smirking, Elaina turned away and headed towards one of the many rope ladders on the tree. "Oh, and if that the shuttle we used to come here is missing, that's because I took it."

"How are you going to find it? It's pitch black out!"

She grinned, holding up a small device.

"I put a tracker in the cockpit before we left it."

Shaking his head, Han moved back to the tree-house. What were the midgets taking such time with?

* * *

"_What are you staring at?" Jaylyn demanded laughingly, wrinkling her nose as she looked up from her office desk._

"_My fiancé," was the simple reply as Qui-Gon leaned on the doorway, wiping his grungy hands on his pants and sitting in the chair opposite the doctor. _

"_I thought we agreed not to say that in the open until all this was over."_

_He ignored the statement._

"_Dinner tonight?"_

"_I probably can't. I have to finish these evaluations and turn them in for review in the morning."_

"_I'm the one you have to turn them in to."_

"_But you have to get them to __your__ superiors."_

_He clicked his tongue._

"_I'll bring it here."_

_Her nose wrinkled further in a way that made her look simply adorable…little did she know._

"_You have such a talent for making even the most boring thing interesting, don't you?" _

_He stretched, mimicking Elaina's accent (which both of the young officers found goofy)._

"_I know. I had lots of practice." She faked a glare and he lost the accent, leaning forward. "Come on, Jay. I'll be here at 1900 hours."_

"_Remind me what time that is again." He just stared. "Fine!" He grinned in triumph. "Don't forget to bring the salt, this time, General."_

_Qui-Gon's smile dropped._

"_Are you forgetting that I'm not a general?"_

_Her eyes softening, Jaylyn dropped her pen, got up, walked around the desk behind him, and put her arms around his shoulders. His lips twitched as her eyelashes tickled his ear._

"_You'll always be my general, Love."_

Qui-Gon's jaw tensed at the memory. Why did everything have to fall apart now, when it was perfect?

He looked at his scanner when his ship dropped out of hyperspace at the coordinates his 'contact' on Tatooine had finally given up: the sanctuary moon of Endor. His eyes widened upon seeing his scanners pick up what looked uncannily like a Death Star on the other side of the planet. He had known that the Rebels had been aware of a new weapon of mass destruction…but did they know it was here? His thoughts of such things were a blur! Was it only a day or so since he had lost the woman he loved? It seemed far longer.

Shaking his head, the young man focused on his target, which was on the opposite side of the moon from the Death Star. Just as the 'contact' had said, it was a small facility at the bottom of a cliff just north of the planet's equator. The Rebellion would have to wait until Jay was safe.

Having landed in a clearing some ways from the building, Qui-Gon secured his gun and speedily crept towards the facility in the darkness. He couldn't exactly knock on the front door, so the rescuer skirted the metallic structure's hundred-foot length to find the back door. Something was wrong, though. The Empire rarely, if ever, left a door open and unguarded. Admittedly, they weren't the brightest of people, but they weren't stupid.

Trying to remain aware of everything around him in anticipation of attack, Qui-Gon peeked into the dimly lit hallway beyond the door and slipped in.

* * *

_Elaina stood staring out the window of the giant ship next to incarcerated Chancellor. Of course, she knew his bonds were just for show; the two guard droids on her other side, however, were not._

"_I would advise you to cooperate, Mistress Jinn," he growled kindly (if there was such a thing)._

"_Why in the blazes do you think I would keep my mouth shut about you just so you can ruin the galaxy unchallenged?" she sneered, turning towards him. A rescue was coming soon, right? Then she could show who this scum really was, show her proof, and end it all. _

"_Come, now, my dear Master Jedi. You know as well as I do that it would be heartbreaking for the both of us if anything happened to our friends…and, when I say friends, I mean Padme, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and all the rest. It would be a tragedy if anything…unpleasant occurred." She merely glared. "Oh, don't play games with me. You know that I would not hesitate to destroy all their lives." His voice was obviously kept calm with great effort._

"_You wouldn't," she hissed in return._

"_Never underestimate a Sith," he challenged._

_Just then, the door at the top of the stairs opened, revealing Anakin and Obi-Wan. Sidious was still waiting for an answer. Obi-Wan…Padme…Yoda… Scowling at the man one last time, Elaina turned around and marched out with the guards trailing her._

_SSSSS _

_"What happened to you, Kelly?"_

_"I opened my eyes; that's what happened! The Jedi have been constructing this plot for who knows how long. The Chancellor was perfect with timing in his defense against them…you. I suppose, after the Council took you under their wing, Palpatine only figured that the odds should be even in that respect." She laughed. "Hardly even for you now, though. Look at you…for all your high-handed thoughts of yourself, you'll never match me, Elaina."_

_"Come back from the road you have taken! There's still a chance!"_

_"Never! If you could only feel the power…No, you're simply too stubborn…and compassionate."_

_SSSSS _

_"No, Master, I do not doubt your opinion…only my own. I don't trust myself anymore, after all that has happened."_

_"Learn to do so once again you must, though not to an extreme. In this, your father will help you, as he did on Mustafar." _

_SSSSS_

"_P squared times pi plus...no. P squared __divided__ by pi plus…"_

_Elaina jumped when a knock came to her ears, causing her considerably streak her work._

"_Oops. Sorry," Relin apologized, distractedly entering the cluttered room. "You were right the first time."_

"_What?" the girl asked, confused._

"_Your algorithm. You were right the first time. It's P squared __times__ pi." Elaina looked back at the board and blushed when she realized that he was right. "So, I thought that you were with your sister on vacation." The woman squeaked at his last statement. "Oh, sorry," he muttered sarcastically. "Right…the __big__ secret. Don't worry; I haven't told anyone. I'm just glad you finally realized you could trust me."_

"_Relin, I __do__ trust you."_

"_Don't worry. I didn't come here to argue with you." He looked back at the hefty carton on the table. "I thought we finished it."_

_Elaina sighed._

"_We…well, __you__ did. I just wanted to confirm a few things before setting it up and slipping back to my vacation."_

"_I'm somewhat disappointed that S.Q.E.A.K. is such a secret. An invention like that would make me famous."_

"_Well, you can bring it forward when this is done."_

"_Whether or not it works, it won't matter."_

"_True. I guess I'm just in denial," she laughed._

"_I now believe that what you're doing is right. All my hopes go with you." She smiled fondly at the quirky little man. "Anyway, that's actually not __quite__ why I tracked you down once I caught a whiff of the rumor that you were around."_

"_What is it?"_

"_I just felt like bragging that I asked the loveliest girl onboard if she'll marry me."_

"_Well, congratulations! It's Nurse Jen, isn't it?"_

That happy moment was gone and dust. She was about to do the hardest (and, at the same time, easiest) thing she had ever done and she was being hindered by a protocol-obsessed lieutenant, who probably didn't know which end of a lightsaber was the handle.

"I demand that you allow me to pass."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that unless…" The filtered voice paused for several torturous moments before finally coming through again. "You have clearance. Use docking bay three."

"Thank you," she snapped, switching the com off and heading for the docking bay.

Once she had landed and opened the hatch, the woman was met by several stormtroopers led by a commander of some sorts.

"The Emperor has commanded that I bring you before him," he chirped.

Bowing her head with a sadistic little smile, Elaina followed her escort into the halls.

* * *

Qui-Gon jumped back when something scrambled by his feet, only to realize that it was a small rodent. Everything was so silent; he imagined he could hear his own heartbeat. What if they lied to him and Jaylyn wasn't anywhere near this haunted house? The bunker had turned out to be much larger than it had appeared on the outside. The top was only a cover for a much larger structure underneath.

Just then, something ahead caught his eye in the darkness. Light was streaming out from the under a door about a hundred feet beyond. He only prayed that Jay was all right.

* * *

"So, what was with the change of heart in letting me in?"

The escort commander beside her looked at Elaina wearing an indecipherable face.

"The Emperor was…expecting you."

She chuckled at the confusion struggling to be shown on his face. The Ally, Arabella, was also beside, looking almost sorrowful. She had long since allowed the parasite full access to her mind.

"Of course the Emperor was expecting me."

* * *

He wedged the door open, sighing in relief when it complied without protest, but squinting slightly when he realized that the room was fully lit, in perfect contrast to the rest of the establishment.

"Qui-Gon!"

His eyes adjusting, the young man finally caught sight of the doctor, who was sitting on a stool in the middle of the room. She seemed ready to bolt towards her rescuer until the ominous noise of filtered breathing became audible.

* * *

Elaina tapped her foot slightly as the elevator seemed to just go up and up for hours.

"So," she began, for some reason finding it amusing to try getting this commander to chat, "…how's the Emperor's health?"

She suppressed a grin when he stuttered again. This guy was just not an idle talker!

"As excellent as always," he muttered.

* * *

"Vader!" the young warrior growled, whipping his gun out, though he instantly lowered it when he realized it would have no effect. Instead, he looked back at the woman, who was gazing into his eyes, pleading him to stay, to leave, to save her, to run…

"It was good of you to join us, boy," the Sith stated, moving to stand just behind Jay. She visibly shivered at the presence.

"Let her go, Vader. She has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, she has everything to do with this," he mocked, fingering a strand of his fiancé's hair. "You know what the Ally's directive is once it gains a foothold?" He waited for an answer, dropping the hair when no answer came and giving his own. "To serve the Emperor. You have disappointed the Emperor greatly with your stubbornness. Now, you will pay."

Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes in anger. At that moment, someone else appeared beside him. The sight was quite surprising. It was him, but the eyes were a frightening yellow and the mouth seemed to have a permanent smirk.

Vader nodded approvingly, as if he could see the image, and actually addressed the copy!

"Return to the Death Star when you are finished."

The Sith then moved past Qui-Gon, dropping something at his feet, before turning back to wait at the entrance.

Why couldn't he move? The son of Obi-Wan Kenobi looked at the entity in horrified realization.

"**Hello, Qui-Gon. We meet at last.**"

Once again, it disappeared.

* * *

Dr. Erassa still sat on her seat, not trusting her limbs to hold her up. Honestly, she had never been more frightened in her life. Everything had been just fine until Vader showed up to take charge from her captor and send the apparent Moff to the Death Star.

Why wasn't Qui-Gon moving? What was happening? After looking beside him as if seeing a ghost, a great strain had come across his face. He seemed to be fighting something internally…but, what?

"Qui-Gon! What's wrong?" In her worry for her lover, Jay forgot her fear and ran towards the deeply concerned man.

"Stop!" he cried. "Don't come any closer!"

In her confusion, the girl froze in place. When Qui-Gon opened his eyes again, they were yellow. As she saw the dagger at the man's feet, she realized what Vader meant by 'finished'. Glancing at the knife her holder had mysteriously placed in her belt, she saw Vader's plan. She had broken Qui-Gon away from the dark side at Cloud City. If she was eliminated…

Qui-Gon slowly bent to get the dagger, a satisfied smirk coming across his face.

"Qui-Gon, no, please…"

Fire seemingly coming to his eyes, he headed towards her. Jaylyn hesitantly grasped the weapon at her waist. If she changed him once, she could do it again…right? Seemingly satisfied, Vader left.

* * *

The elevator door finally opened and Elaina instantly began making her way to the metal stairs, gazing up at the large chair at the top, which was facing the gigantic window. She smiled happily at the older, dark-skinned man coming down the stairs as she went up.

"Panaka?" she exclaimed. "The Queen's head of security? Naboo? Panaka?"

He smiled back.

"It's good to see you, Elaina."

"What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since that business with the Federation all those year ago."

"Moff of the Chommel sector, now. I just finished an errand for the Emperor and dropped by here before heading back."

"It is good to see you well, my friend."

"You too."

As the old acquaintances went their separate ways, Elaina focused back on her target.

* * *

The girl blocked another of his attacks.

"Please, Qui-Gon, don't do this! You're a good person. You're my fiancé. Please!"

The man chuckled as he effortlessly knocked her down again, despite his host's desperate calls in the background as they struggled for control.

"Qui-Gon is not here."

"Yes, he is," she gasped, rolling away.

He decided that this toying was getting old and began forcing memories into her mind…tormenting thoughts of Vader. What he didn't anticipate was that she would be able to fight back with memories of her own.

"Elaina taught me how fight back if my mind was ever invaded like this," Jay replied to his sudden uncertainty. She forced one last memory into his mind before he retreated. He recognized it from a faint memory from Vader…just an image, really…of his father as a young man, a boy he knew to be Anakin, and an older man with long hair… "I don't need to remind you what your father would say if he saw you now," she continued as she ducked. "But you do no justice to your namesake. I may not know much, but I know that your grandfather was a great man. You shame him by this. You shame me."

The Ally hesitated as Qui-Gon found some strange, renewed strength. He was losing the inner battle! How?

* * *

The throne swiveled around to reveal the Emperor.

* * *

The Ally launched one last attack as Jaylyn found herself cornered against a wall.

Qui-Gon smiled. He had won the battle! He couldn't feel the Ally's presence. Jay had… His smile faded.

* * *

Elaina knelt down.

"My Lord, I have come."

* * *

The woman sunk to the floor with a ragged gasp.

Reality crashed down on him as he saw the blade in her chest.

"Jaylyn…I couldn't stop it…I'm sorry…please…"

She silenced him, caressing his cheek with a blood-stained hand as he held her in his arms.

"You're here," she whispered. Qui-Gon felt a panic. Her breathing seemed shallower by the second.

"Yes, I'm here," he said quickly.

"No," Jay said quietly, but firmly, "you are here."

"Yes, the Ally's gone," he confirmed, more than slightly bewildered.

She smiled faintly.

"Then I have done what was needed."

"Jay? Jaylyn! You're going to be all right. Stay with me, Jay!"

"I love you."

"Don't do this, Jay. Don't abandon me." She breathed a laugh as if the thought was funny.

"Silly boy."

She reached up to touch his face again, but her hand went limp the second he held it.

"Don't leave me alone," he whispered, despair closing in.

Thanks for reading and please review!

My sincerest apologies to DragonRider2000! The story's not over, though! *hides behind trash can*


	38. Taking Chances

Thanks...well, I didn't give anyone any time to review, so, uh...thanks for reading, everyone! I know I said I wouldn't have another update for a while, but I got some unanticipated writing time and wrote this all in one evening! I felt kind of bad since I'll be gone and unable to write for almost two weeks…okay, that sounds just pathetic now, but it's the truth. Anyway, I see this chapter as mainly a transition spot, though it does have scenes that were important to the movie.

Hayley Westenra's "Dark Waltz" is with scene 2…

Taking Chances

"Wonderful!" 3PO exclaimed happily. "We are now a part of the tribe."

While she chuckled as Han was tackled by a native or two, Kelly was able to avoid a joyful ambush of her own and head straight for him. She had seen Elaina pull him out of there before the she disappeared and the narration started. At least her sister was no longer obsessed with that peculiar project.

"Just what I always wanted," the man said, smiling until a fuzz-ball latched itself onto his leg whereupon he looked desperately to the also incapacitated Chewie. "Well, short help is better than no help at all, Chewie. Thank you…okay."

"Han!" she called, nearing him. The general visibly cringed. He was a smart man to know when a woman wanted something he was probably unwilling to give…but, he smiled at her anyway as she reached him.

"Ah, fellow tribe-member!"

"We need to talk."

He cringed again, recovering with a cheesy smile.

"Something wrong?"

"Where's Elaina?"

"I don't…"

"Don't tell me you don't know!" she yelled angrily. "I have a right to know where…where she is." She managed to recover herself before making an irreparable slip.

"She didn't tell me."

"Han," she threatened.

"She just told me to protect Leia and that she was taking the shuttle."

"Blasted, Han! Why didn't you stop her?" Kelly didn't give him the chance to answer. "I have to go after her."

"You'll do no such thing, Kelly," he argued, suddenly losing his timidity.

"I have to!"

"We need you here, General!" The word actually stung. Was this what it had been like for Obi-Wan to have a command during the Clone Wars?

"Han, she'll try to take things into her own hands. I know her."

"My decision is final. We'll need you for the fight later."

Kelly bit her lip, in denial.

"I can't… I have a duty to go."

"You have a duty to stay."

* * *

After watching Han and Kelly bicker from afar, Leia caught sight of Luke slipping out the door and followed him. She noticed him stop on the little bridge, his head down. She took the opportunity to approach him.

"Luke, what's wrong?"

When he turned to look at her, there was a strange look in his face. It was the same look he had possessed before the briefing only hours before, but it was more obvious, now.

"Leia…do you remember your mother…your real mother?"

Not in the least expecting a question like that, the princess shifted her weight before replying.

"Just a little bit. She died when I was very young."

"What do you remember?"

Still confused, Leia tried to answer in the best way she could.

"Other than what Elaina told me, just…images, really…feelings. El said I'm lucky even to have that."

"Tell me."

"She was very beautiful…kind, but…sad." Breaking out of her sudden reminiscence, Leia looked back at the young man. "Why are you asking me all this?"

"I have no memory of my mother. I never knew her."

Honestly…

"Luke, tell me. What's troubling you?"

"Vader is her…now, on this moon."

That response surprised her.

"How do you know?"

"I felt his presence. He's come for me. He can feel when I'm near. That's why I have to go. As long as I stay, I'm endangering the group and our mission here. I have to face him."

Now she was distressed.

"Is that why Elaina left?"

"I don't know."

Why was he acting so strange? He was so calm, yet so melancholy.

"Why?"

"He's my father."

She grimaced in horror.

"Your father?"

"There's more. It won't be easy for you to hear it, but you must. If I don't make it back, you're the only hope for the Alliance."

"Luke, don't talk that way. You have a power I…I don't understand and could never have!"

"You're wrong, Leia," the boy insisted. "You have that power too. In time, you'll learn to use it as I have." Was that what Elaina had been talking about in training when she persisted in telling her to focus on nothing and be aware of her surroundings? "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it…I have it…and…my sister has it." Her lips parted in realization as he gazed intently into her eyes. "Yes, it's you, Leia."

"_Did she really live during the reign of the old republic?"_

"_Oddly enough, you were born within days of the emergence of the Empire. You're smart enough to figure that out without me needing to tell you."_

_Elaina's level and emotionless voice always used when discussing an awkward subject was getting on the princess' nerves._

"_Come on now, Elaina! Can't you give me an answer better than that?"_

_A slight smile graced the twenty-five-to-thirty-appearing face._

"_I was two years older than she. We never got along until shortly before she died..."_

"I know." Her eyes lit up. All the pieces fell together. "Elaina's somehow connected to the family, isn't she…beyond friendship?"

"She and Kelly are Vader's sisters…our aunts. Obi-Wan was our uncle, being married to Kelly, and Qui-Gon's our cousin."

She nodded.

"Somehow…I've always known."

"Then, you know why I have to face him."

That was a step too far.

"No!" she cried. "Luke, run away, far away! If he can feel your presence, then leave this place. I wish I could go with you."

"No, you don't. You've always been strong."

"But, why must you confront him?" she begged, tormented by the thought of losing her new-found brother.

"Because…there is good in him. I've felt it…and I'm not the only one." They both knew he was talking about Elaina's impulsively silent convictions. "He won't turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try."

After holding her hand a moment, he departed into the darkness, leaving Leia on the verge of tears.

A few seconds passed before she noticed Han's presence.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked obliviously.

She fought the tears…failing.

"Nothing," the woman feigned. I…just want to be alone for a little while."

"Nothing? Come on, tell me. What's going on?"

She looked at him desperately.

"I…I can't tell you."

"Did you tell Luke?" he accused angrily, pointing in the direction her brother had gone. "Is that who you could tell?"

"I…" She turned away again in despair.

"Ah!" he exclaimed irritably, seeming to walk away, prior to returning. "I'm sorry."

"Hold me!"

Relieved for his presence, she fell into his warm embrace.

* * *

Luke remained cool and collected as the guarding commander offered his lightsaber to Vader. Somehow, his new knowledge allowed him to see a new aspect of the black giant.

"Good work, Commander," the Sith stated. "Leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to me. Take great care in finding Kelly Kenobi."

"Yes, my Lord," the stiff replied, departing with his followers, leaving the two Skywalkers to themselves.

"The Emperor has been expecting you."

"I know, Father," Luke replied calmly.

"So, you have accepted the truth."

"I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker: my father."

Vader turned to face him, pointing threateningly…but it no longer really frightened him.

"That name no longer has any meaning for me."

"It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That is why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to you Emperor now." He was walking a line…and he didn't know where the edge was.

His father quickly changed the subject, looking at the confiscated weapon.

"I see you have constructed a new lightsaber." He ignited the sword for study. "Your skills are complete. Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen."

When the lightsaber was extinguished, silence reigned for a moment.

"Come with me!"

"Obi-Wan once thought as you do," he contemplated before hardening. "You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my Master."

"I will not turn…and you'll be forced to kill me."

"…if that is you destiny."

"Search your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate. Kelly was able to fight it…so was Qui-Gon."

"It is too late for me, Son. The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master, now."

A door opened at the far end of the hall, revealing a few stormtroopers.

"Then my father is truly dead."

* * *

"The main entrance to the control bunker's on the far side of that landing platform. This isn't gonna be easy," Leia noted.

"Hey, don't worry. Chewie and me got into a lot of places more heavily guarded than this."

Kelly groaned her opinion before actually speaking.

"Is that supposed to be encouraging, General, or is that your chronic sarcasm oozing out again?"

"Would you be quiet, Kelly!" the princess hissed, then speaking to 3PO, who had just turned from a conversation with one of the natives. "What's he saying?"

"He says there's a secret entrance on the other side of the ridge," the droid informed them.

"Good boy!" the Jedi murmured.

* * *

The door buzzed again and a body sluggishly slid out of the bed, reaching for the robe on a nearby chair as she made her way to answer the call. She pressed the com.

"Yeah?" Larian groaned, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," the cheerful voice of the temporary head surgeon greeted. "We're just about to jump into hyperspace. Can you report in soon? I'll need you in the likely event that we have casualties."

"Sure," the woman replied, muttering to herself as she headed for the shower. "Always more casualties."

Before going through the refresher room door, she snatched a peek at her porthole window as the stars blurred with their advanced speed.

* * *

"_Then we'll do it real quiet-like."_

Famous last words! Leia and Kelly were glaring at Han's cockiness when 3PO informed them of a renegade fur-ball snatching one of the guards' speeder bikes.

"There goes our surprise attack," the former pirate grumbled. Their opinions changed, however, when the runaway drew all but a single guard away from the bunker on a chase. "Not bad for a little fur-ball! There's only one left. You stay here. We'll take care of this."

Sighing, but resigned, the girls glanced at each other in mutual dissatisfaction.

Minutes later, they were inside the bunker.

* * *

Luke's parting lips were the only sign of surprise that slipped to the surface; however, he was honestly shocked seeing Elaina standing beside the Emperor, watching the stars as if everything in the world was right.

"Welcome, young Skywalker. I have been expecting you," the shadowy corpse on the throne greeted, prior to looking down at the boy's binders. "You no longer need those." With barely a twist of the hand, he caused the cuffs to merely fall off with the Force. "Guards, leave us." The subjects did so without pause. "I'm looking forward to completing your training. In time you will call me…Master."

"You're gravely mistaken," Luke chided confidently. "You won't convert me as you did my father…" …and, seemingly, Elaina.

The Emperor rose.

"Oh no, my young Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken…about a great many things."

"His lightsaber," Vader offered, handing the item to his leader.

"Ah yes, a Jedi's weapon…much like your father's. By now, you must know your father can never be turned from the dark side…so will it be with you."

"You're wrong," the young man persisted. "Soon, I'll be dead…and you with me."

All he got for that was a cackling laugh.

"Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet." Luke jerked his head towards the speaker in surprise. "Yes…Elaina informed us of the details. I assure you we are quite safe from your friends here."

"Your overconfidence is your weakness."

"Your faith in your friends is yours."

"It is pointless to resist, my son," Vader put in quietly.

The Emperor returned to his seat, knowing that Luke's stoic barrier was weakened.

"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design. Your friends, up there on the Sanctuary Moon, are walking into a trap, as is your Rebel fleet! It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them." The creature was clearly enjoying the victory. "Oh…I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive."

* * *

"Han!" Kelly called as they set the last charge, only to discover a whole troop of Imperial soldiers entering, guns trained.

"Freeze, you Rebel scum," the commander sneered.

Kelly put her hands up, while saying, as if to a child,

"Now, is that kind of language really necessary?"

* * *

Lando flipped a few switches as they dropped out of hyperspace.

"All wings report in."

He was obeyed quite quickly, to his satisfaction. If only Elaina could see him, now. She would…

"May the Force be with us," Admiral Ackbar stated over the radio.

Lando's mood was ruined as his copilot pointed to the scanner, babbling away in his language.

"We've got to be able to get some kind of a reading on that, up or down. Well, how could they be jamming us if they…" It hit. "…if they don't know we're coming." He hit the com. "Break off the attack! The shield is still up."

"I get no reading," Red leader announced. "Are you sure?"

"Pull up! All craft pull up!"

Thanks for reading and please review! This chapter was actually supposed to include a nice dramatic bit and all, but I didn't realize how long it would end up being…so, you get that next time. Only a few more chapters!


	39. Silentium Altum

Thanks DragonRider2000, I love dance, and Katie Ladmoore for your reviews!

The tale of Elaina, Kelly, Qui-Gon, Jaylyn, Larian, Relin, Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, and all the rest is nearing its end. Their hardship in our little world of fantasy will soon be coming to a close and, perhaps, they can finally rest easy in our minds…but the stories will always go on…they will never end…

Well, I just got back from a two-week choral academy…talk about exhausted! As of the moment that I'm writing this note (a couple days before I'll actually be able to upload this nice, long chapter), I'm camping in the middle of the forest with the sound of a creek coming through my window: the perfect writing environment, in my opinion. Too bad it doesn't last. Anyway, enough of my whining. Enjoy!

'Silentium Altum' basically means 'the silence of the deep'…

Evanescence's "Last Breath" goes with scene 16…

Silentium Altum

Luke was glancing uncertainly at Elaina when the Emperor beckoned to the window beside the woman to 'see for himself'. Her eyes were disconcertingly as red as the Emperor's were yellow.

"From here," the enthroned leader continued, "you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your insignificant Rebellion." From gazing worriedly at the blonde, Luke snuck a glance at the throne's armrest, where his lightsaber sat. The Emperor noticed it. "You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you, now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it."

He seemed about to go on, but Elaina cut in with an indecipherable look in the young man's direction.

"My Lord," she interjected, "are you sure that it is wise to try provoking him like this? Yoda taught him well, I'm sure of it. Perhaps I could…" She was waved off like a misbehaving hair and her mouth snapped shut…that is, until she began quietly muttering to herself about 'getting herself in trouble'.

"Give in to your anger. With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant."

Luke looked pleadingly back at Elaina for help, but she was back to staring blankly out the window, her eyes seemingly following something in particular.

"No!" the boy ground out.

"It is unavoidable. It is your destiny. You, like your father and your aunt, are now mine!"

* * *

Leia exchanged glances of mixed confusion and worry with Han as 3PO's voice came ringing through the trees.

"Hello! I say, over there! Were you looking for me?"

The call drew half a dozen of their captors towards the droids. What were they thinking?

Wonderingly, they looked around to see where the abrupt sounds of horns were coming from. Insanity occurred when hundreds of the locals suddenly burst out of the underbrush, attacking the stormtroopers. After tossing aside a few threatening enemies, Han and Leia took refuge at the bunker door just as it closed, while Chewie and Kelly ran off somewhere into the heat of battle.

"The code's changed," the princess yelled over the din. "We need R2!"

Han backed away from the firefight to look at the panel.

"Here's the terminal."

"R2," she called through her com, "where are you? We need you at the bunker right away."

* * *

"Watch yourself, Wedge!" the general shouted. "Three from above!"

The chatter continued as Lando continued evading the Imperial craft behind him until Wedge alerted him that the enemy fighters were headed for the medical frigate. The commander led his group in defense.

* * *

Larian growled as another hit seemed to make the whole ship quiver. She barely caught her patient, a man from engineering with burns from an explosion, from falling off the gurney.

"Remind me again why our ship had to dive into this mess?" she generally inquired, glaring when her light overhead flickered.

"Because this is the medical frigate," her momentary boss replied. "It's our job."

"What's the use of cleaning up a mess while it's being made?"

"Clean as you work. Speaking of which…"

Rolling her eyes, the nurse went back to cleaning the wound, causing a slight groan from her patient. She calmed him with a soft touch on the cheek.

"Shh, you're safe. You'll be all right."

* * *

"As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed. Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station." Luke gaped at the Emperor in shock…and he wasn't the only one. As the cloaked beast leaned over to speak into his com, Elaina's mask seemed to disappear for a moment to reveal genuine dismay. Her hands squeezing the life out of her well-fitting black pants and the leather of her black jacket quietly creaking from the strain, the woman looked even more intensely out the window. "Fire at will, Commander."

Moments later, the young man found his anger returning when one of the larger Rebel cruisers disappeared in an impressive explosion caused by the Death Star.

* * *

"Come on! Come on!" Han urged as the droids finally arrived. What they didn't count on was that the terminal would backfire, sending R2 flying into the opposite side of the doorway. "Well," the man noted, "I suppose I could hotwire this thing."

"I'll cover you," the princess stated.

* * *

"Is it working, yet?" the lieutenant whined for the third time.

Relin gruffly pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I just told you. The terminal is completely fried."

"There's no reason for this! It…" The scientist tuned out the upstart's ranting. Of all the officers in the Rebellion, lieutenants were his least favorite. They were always trying to make themselves look good for another promotion. Combine that with trying to fix a com on the bridge which had been shorted out by one of the hits and he was in a very aggravating situation. Connecting one more wire, Zelishka stood up to berate the youngster.

"Listen, boy! I am working as fast as I can. If you want to get back to decoding useless chatter to earn more boy scout points, you'll let me concentrate."

Humbled, the kid backed off, mumbling an apology before one of the commanders approached, inquiring,

"Is the something wrong here?"

"No," Relin answered lightly, picking up his tools. "I just finished."

* * *

Vader cocked his head slightly in observing the scene before him. While the Emperor was focused entirely on seducing Luke, the boy was becoming more agitated by the second, though Elaina's feelings seemed a little more buried…of course, she had had about half a century of practice. It honestly impressed the black tower. Occasionally, a struggle would appear on her face, but she overall seemed very capable of hiding her emotions. She wasn't good enough to hide it from the Emperor, though.

"Don't think you can hide your doubts from me, Elaina. I know of your uncertainties." Elaina refused to make eye contact. "Explain to me how you seemed to turn so quickly after so long."

"It would be an understatement to say that I was stubborn…but I finally saw reason when those who would make me believe they cared turned their backs towards me. I will not stay where I am not wanted. The Ally and I are now one."

"Does the Ally have a name?"

"Arabella…for 'answered prayer'. She saved me when I couldn't save myself."

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Luke.

"Your fleet has lost…and your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice. The Alliance will die…as will your friends." Vader watched as the boy's anger turned to rage. "Good. I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon! Strike me down with all your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete."

As he expected, Luke used the Force to snatch his lightsaber from the throne and tried to strike at the Master. Vader casually blocked the attack with his own weapon.

* * *

Kelly did as directed in latching her arms around the Wookiee's chest, while the two natives clung to his waist, before he swung on the vine over to the moving Imperial Walker. When one pilot popped out to investigate, Chewie used his awesome strength to yank him out and toss him overboard. The other one was knocked out by the fur-balls, who slipped in before them; however, both the girl and the giant cried out in dismay when the miniatures took control of the machine…or rather, tried to, seeing as the careening walker nearly made the riders fall.

After finally taking over, serving as a copilot for her friend, Kelly laughed at the irony of the stormtroopers fleeing from the commandeered vessel.

* * *

Leia defended their position as Han continued trying to hotwire the door.

"I think I got it," he noted. "I got it!"

The girl looked back when she heard a 'swoosh', pursing her lips when another pair of doors closed. Her distraction cost her and she cried out as a shot hit her arm.

"Princess Leia, are you all right?" 3PO cried while the man retreated to inspect the wound, saying,

"Let's see."

"It's not bad," she denied, grimacing nonetheless.

"Freeze!" a stormtrooper order, suddenly approaching with his gun trained on them. "Don't move!"

Leia held her pistol to her waist, out of sight of the soldier, but just at the right angle for Han to see.

"I love you," he stated definitely, producing a smile from the princess as she replied with the joke only they and a few others knew.

"I know."

"Hands up! Stand up!" the stormtrooper continued. The instant Han turned, Leia disposed of the threatening guards. The second he turned back, however, his smile disappeared as one of the giant walkers appeared and pointed its guns at them.

"Stay back," he warned. The worry was apparently unneeded. Chewie's head popped out of the walker's top hatch, along with the whiney mouth. "Chewie! Get down here! She's wounded! No, wait…I got an idea."

* * *

Sidious laughed victoriously as Luke's enraged vigor forced Vader down the stairs, away from the throne, instantly preparing for another attack. He paused, however, when the Emperor spoke.

"Good! Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow through you."

The new apprentice's countenance relaxed as he seemingly drove the anger away.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well," the previous Anakin stated, limping back up the stairs. The Emperor smiled to himself at that. Yes, it was high time he had a new apprentice.

"I will not fight you, Father," the stubborn boy insisted.

"You are unwise to lower your defenses."

As the fight moved away from the throne, the Emperor turned towards the window, where Elaina/Arabella remained watching the conflict outside with a stiff back. With a sly grin, he reached into his robe and retrieved the item he had been saving ever since his rise to power.

"After the dispersion of the Jedi order, I had the temple, including the Jedi quarters, searched for anything of…interest. I discovered this in Obi-Wan Kenobi's residence. It's only right that you should have it." That caused the girl to turn towards him, gasping when she saw the object in his hands. "Your father's lightsaber."

"How did…I don't understand," she stammered. "How did it end up with Obi-Wan?"

"When Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon Jinn in battle and disposed of the then-padawan's weapon, Obi-Wan used this to defend himself and kept what was rightly yours on a shelf in his residence after finding a replacement." It almost surprised him that, of all things, that fact seemed to make her angrier than anything yet tried. "Take the only heirloom your father ever left you and take the place you deserve at my side. Together, we can teach the boy everything that has been forgotten." Elaina's fingers twitched in anticipation of the feel of a lightsaber of her own in her hand, but her jaw held firm and the fingers went instead to the simple ring on her other hand. He decided to try the route he had used with Anakin. "At my side, there is a chance you can save the one you love…the one who risks his life for a hopeless cause in that battle." Perhaps that was a mistake. The red eyes deepened in color.

"That…was not wise, Sidious."

"Your choice could affect the lives of many of your friends…whether they live or die."

"I already made a choice that may affect the lives of millions…but will anyone appreciate it? Has anyone ever appreciated my efforts?" With a slight movement of the girl's wrist, the lightsaber gently floated out of his hand and into hers, whereupon she proceeded to caress its smooth casing. "Did they ever really care?" The last question came as a whisper.

* * *

Kelly chuckled as the Imperial troops fell for the ruse, rushing out of the bunker into an ambush, whereupon the woman, Han, and Chewie rushed in with their charges.

"Throw me another charge," the man complained when they only had two explosives to go. Kelly and the Wookiee gained revenge for the impatience by both throwing the last charges at the pirate, producing a muffled 'oomph' from the effort of catching them.

* * *

Trying to retake control over his emotions, Luke remained silently taking refuge under a dark staircase. He knew he couldn't hide forever, though. Just as he could sense his father's ever-nearing, searching presence, his father could sense him.

Why was all of this happening? Only a few years before, he had been a simple nephew of a moisture farmer longing for adventure. Then, the reality he had never expected came crashing down, along with the responsibility. Obi-Wan, Kelly, Elaina, his father, Leia…Leia! His sister! He couldn't let any of them down, but he had to keep her safe.

Vader's voice broke through his scattered thoughts.

"You cannot hide forever, Luke."

The thoughts nagged at him. His father!

"I will not fight you."

"Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you." Luke squeezed his eyes shut in horror. Not only were those thoughts distracting, but with another Force-user like Vader… Obi-Wan had told him to bury his thoughts about those things…he had failed. "Your feelings for them are strong…especially for…" The searcher paused at the apparent discovery. "…sister! So…you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will…"

Luke cut him off with a cry of renewed fury. How dare he even suggest turning Leia! The weapons collided once again in a shower of sparks as the young man's anger returned with building strength. In his mind, he drove the attacker away from those he loved. In reality, he was driving his foe away from the dark staircase, away from the shadowed outlet, back into the throne room, and across its floor. His slashes became more and more furious in speed and strength. Even with his growing emotion, however, he saw light from the corner of his eye similar to the sparks being produced by his own duel, though he didn't have the time to think much of it. His sword continued to fly.

The fight took them to the edge of a deep shaft and he forced the dark lord to his knees. Suddenly, with a cry, Vader's fighting hand was sliced off, leaving a mechanical stump, but his concentration still seemed overly focused, as if in a dream. Even the soft 'thud' seemed distant just before the Emperor began descending the stairs cackling with glee, while Luke held his lightsaber at Vader's throat.

"Good!" the caped man called. "Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side."

Finally coming to his senses, Luke vaguely looked from his own gloved, mechanical hand to the lacking appendage of his father. Was he really becoming like his father? Resolutely, he deactivated his lightsaber and tossed it to the ground, turning to the Emperor.

"Never! I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

The evil joy turned to disgusted outrage, causing the boy's stomach to drop. Seriously, what could a shriveled old man do that would be that bad?

"So be it…Jedi. If you will not be turned, then you will be destroyed."

* * *

With Kelly keeping perfect pace with him in the general retreat from the bunker, Chewie ran headlong towards the trees, Han's frantic order blasting in his ears quite close by.

"Move! Move!"

Seconds later, the building and attached generator dish violently exploded just as the group reached the tree line. Despite the apparent safety of the trees, Chewie used himself as a shield for Kelly, who didn't bother protesting, being used to his ways. Instead, surprisingly, she offered him a grateful smile once the force of the blast had passed.

* * *

General Ackbar's voice rang through the com clearly.

"The shield is down! Commence attack on the Death Star's main reactor."

Relieved, Lando turned the _Falcon_ back towards the original target.

"We're on our way. Red Group, Gold Group, all fighters follow me." Looking back at his copilot, the general laughed. "Told you they'd do it!"

* * *

"_Did they ever really care?" Elaina mused quietly, enjoying the feeling of the cool metal under her fingers. The last lightsaber she had touched was Kelly's quite some ago. The last lightsaber she had called her own…decades had passed. A Jedi just wasn't whole without the distinguishing weapon. It was like a missing body part…but it felt almost strange being whole again. The Ally stood on the sidelines, 'tsking'. Even after they had come to an understanding, Arabella managed to be quite annoying on occasion._

"_**Are we ready?**__" It was a simple question. It also deserved an answer. But Elaina didn't know the answer herself. Even as the clashing of the distant weapons reached her ears, the blonde remained standing beside the grinning man she had fought to defeat for the better part of her life with her father's last heirloom in her hands. _

_She had foreseen this day for months. Now, it was upon them._

"_I don't know."_

_Though she was answering Arabella's question, the Emperor assumed (thankfully) that she was talking about his offer. At least she still had some secrets._

"_You can reclaim everything they took from you. Everything can go back to the way it was…only, better," he offered. She scowled, but sighed a moment later._

_Looking to her cling-on, she whispered,_

"_I am ready." Turning back to the Emperor, she stared him down, resolved in what had to be done. She would reclaim what had been taken from her, yes. "Yes, I can reclaim my honor. I __can__ avenge what was mine. Everything __can__ be better." She ignited the __green lightsaber fondly, admiring it even then. It was the Emperor's turn to frown and she could tell that he was reaching for his own tool. "Without you, it __will__ be better."_

_Years ago, Yoda had sent her and Obi-Wan to confront Kelly and Anakin, claiming that neither of them was strong enough to succeed against Sidious. Yoda had failed in stopping the Emperor, Obi-Wan had failed in stopping Anakin, and it was only with Obi-Wan's help that Elaina had managed to turn Kelly. Before all of that, she had had the chance to end it all. She was responsible for the galaxy being what it was. This was her chance to rectify those mistakes._

_The other fight being temporarily silent, the only sounds were the humming of the blonde's lightsaber and the rustle of the Emperor's cloak as he stood, revealing his own blade, which he quickly ignited, leaving both contenders just waiting. That blade was the same that had killed Master Windu. She wondered who was flying her ship right now. That blade was doom itself. She had to defeat it._

_In a flash of movement, their fight began. Somehow, she felt that it wouldn't last long. Because of her general fighting style and lack of practice with the actual weapon, Elaina's favored moves were the block and the parry. Traditionally, the Sith went for the stabbing and lunging. When one would get the advantage for an instant, the other would quickly even out the odds with some unexpected dive. His mobility stunned her._

_Finally, their space expanded a bit as Elaina worked the Emperor down the stairs, becoming slightly more comfortable with lightsaber fighting again and, additionally, becoming a little more offensive. When they were about five feet past the staircase, she twirled her sword and disarmed the creature. His cheater's reaction, however, caught her off guard, though she had indeed been expecting it. Lightning shot from his hands and flung her though the air, oddly landing her right into the throne. The land was far from convenient or comfortable, though. Electricity continued racking her body even after it had stopped radiating from the Emperor, who confidently came back up the stairs, lightsaber back in hand…not that he really needed it. He had the advantage, momentarily. They both knew it. The shock left her completely drained of energy. Practicing resistance to that sort of thing wasn't average anymore. The way to counteract it was long forgotten, pathetically. _

"_It is useless to resist," the cloaked figure stated as she worked to control her ragged breathing. "I thought we already had that clear."_

_She managed a smirk._

"_Slow learning runs in my family."_

"_As is the habit of fighting unwinnable battles."_

"_My father's battle was won." It was random, but it was the thing that came to mind._

"_He lost that battle."_

"_But, nevertheless, it was won."_

"_And he is __dead__," he shot back, reaching the top of the stairs, whipping his blade back out, and striking. She just managed to slip out of the chair and roll across the floor. Bouncing unsteadily back up, Elaina skirted around him, back toward the stairs. He must have found a way to make that Force lightning more potent. Before, it had never left her legs shaking like this!_

"_I am proud of his legacy. He died for what he believed in."_

_Taking advantage of her weak state, the Sith attacked with a flurry of strikes. She was only able to block the first of the onslaught before he used the handle of his weapon to hit her in the jaw. Having idiotically not expected such a thing, Elaina was taken somewhat aback by it…and paid for it. _

"_Then die like him."_

_Unable to breathe from the pain, the Jedi fell to her knees, dropping her precious lightsaber as her hands grasped towards the hole in her abdomen. _

Lying on her back, everything seemed to become clear to Elaina.

On the outside, only her ears were able to keep track of anything…and that wasn't much. All she heard were the pained screams of her nephew as the Emperor turned his bolts on the boy. Even if she had really wanted to help, there was no way it could happen.

In Elaina's own little world, memories flooded her: memories of her father, his death, her mother, Kelly as a feisty teenager, Kelly as Raina, Kelly happy and with Obi-Wan, Anakin as an adorable nine-year-old, Anakin as a love-struck nineteen-year-old young man, Anakin as a strong handsome man, Vader, perfect, innocent Padme, Obi-Wan as a padawan, a Knight, a Master, and a vision, Leia growing up and becoming a beautiful, talented leader, Luke turning from a dumbfounded farm boy to an overall responsible, caring person, and Lando… What would he say?

Arabella was kneeling above her still form. They had become one during the battle. A strange, calm, peaceful smile graced the Ally's lips. That single look seemed to say more than any words. The red in her eyes turned to a soft blue and the smile turned to a grin of pure joy. Just as Elaina faintly wondered why, the screams changed throats and abruptly ceased. Was it really over? Nothing seemed clear…except for the Ally. Tears coming to the vision's eyes, Elaina's answered prayer mouthed two simple words before fading. As the once unwelcome invader disappeared completely from her mind, Elaina whispered the same words in return.

"Thank you."

After all the fight and struggle, the Emperor's Ally of Elaina Jinn was dead. It was only time before the owner of the body followed.

* * *

As the wind caused by the Emperor's crashing at the bottom of the abyss ceased, Luke shakily half walked and half crawled to where his father was leaning against the railing, breathing heavily. Despite his own weak state, the boy was able to get the giant away from the pit's edge to lie on the floor. Anakin's state concerned him. He voiced his observation, but the fallen tower replied,

"I am all right." It wasn't very convincing, but the next word caught his attention. "Elaina…" It was strange that Vader actually had the time to notice the blonde's predicament in the heat of battle, but it didn't really matter.

Gaping at the prone figure draped over the edge of the top stair, Luke, again partially crawling, made his way to his aunt. She had a dangerous-looking stab wound in her mid section and a strangely peaceful smile…that is, until she saw Luke.

"Is the Emperor dead?" He nodded, to her obvious relief. "And Anakin is…?"

"Anakin is Anakin."

That brought a full, if weak, smile to her lips.

"I knew he was the Chosen One. I knew he was still there. No one ever listened…" As if remembering something, she pointedly focused her eyes on him. "Luke, what are your plans?"

The question threw him off guard.

"I…I plan to…rebuild the Jedi order."

Desperately, she grabbed his shirt in a death grip.

"Follow the old ways as much as you can…except with one rule. They never allowed love. That law is what started all of this. Kelly turned because she couldn't love Obi-Wan. Anakin turned because he had to keep his love for Padme a secret. Love. Is. Essential." He just nodded. They both knew the inevitable, especially since her breathing seemed to quicken. Despite this, she reached for her weapon nearby and stuffed it into his hand. "This belonged to your grandfather. If you lose it, I'll haunt you for the rest of your days." Painfully chuckling at her own joke as Luke moved to make a pillow out of his knee for her, the girl continued hurriedly.

"If you listen to no other advice in life, listen to this: heed Kelly's counsel…and love with all your heart. Love is the light which burns brightly in even the darkest shadow of evil." The last words were coming. "Tell Lando that I loved him…and tell Kelly to beat the record for me." Again, all Luke did was nod. How many more people from the old days would he have to watch die? "Luke…you are the light from the shadow of the Emperor. Your generation is the light which will disperse the shadow brought on by your predecessors."

He was there beside Elaina when she drew her last breath, just as he had been for Yoda. He supposed she would have liked that parallel. The fact that she didn't disappear instantly like Obi-Wan or Yoda confused him a little but didn't register to his numb mind too much as he left the Jedi's body to return to his father, who had managed a sitting position.

"Elaina?"

Luke shook his head.

"Dead."

The giant was silent for a moment, lost in either thought or memory.

"She died well…like our father. I think, if she had to choose a way, that would have been her decision."

The statement didn't make much sense, like everything else, so the young warrior moved on, putting the lightsaber in his belt and bracing himself to help Anakin stand.

"We should get out of here."

* * *

Even as the Rebellion troops began rounding up the surrendering Imperial soldiers, explosive cheers rang through the forest over their success in destroying the shield generator and winning the moon battle.

All of a sudden, one of the victorious, shouting people in a forest-colored parka standing near the tree line ceased her calls and sank to the ground against a stump. She wasn't sure why she suddenly felt so faint. It was like a part of her had just been cut away, fading into the distance. She was no longer whole. The same had occurred the night before, though it hadn't been as bad…and she had yet to figure it out.

"Hey, Kelly!" The brunette looked up to see Han approaching from one of the filtering groups. "You all right? You look a little pale."

She smiled vaguely, lying through her teeth.

"I'm fine, Han…no worse for wear."

She only hoped that the feeling wouldn't happen again.

Thanks for reading and please review, vote, ya-da-ya-da…

I know, I'm bad…I'm killing everybody off…ok, not everybody….just a few! And don't get your hopes up too much with Vader/Anakin. He's as a good as dead even now. Hope you enjoyed, regardless!


	40. Glory and Goodbye

Thanks Katie Ladmoore, DragonRider2000, and I love dance for your reviews...and your patience!

Sorry for the delay! I had a French opera workshop all week. I must say, though; French is not really my thing. Haha. On a more saddening note, my beloved Frizzle Cochin Bantam rooster, Tutto Piumoso, died this morning. Animal lovers will understand my dedicating this chapter to my wonderful boyfriend/pet...I can't say that he was very faithful since I had to share him with 17 other hens. ;) Enjoy!

John Mayer's "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" goes w/ scenes 8-9-ish...

Glory and Goodbye

Lando flinched as another shot from the pursuing TIE fighters sent yet another one of his comrades to his death. Fed up with how they were being picked off so easily in the close quarters, he hit the com.

"Split up and head back to the surface. See if you can get a few of those TIE fighters to follow you."

"Copy, Gold Leader," came the quick reply.

Almost as soon as the other Rebel ships disappeared around the corner, taking three of the five Imperial shuttles after them, the tunnel suddenly narrowed and the _Falcon_, consequently, clipped the side.

"That was too close."

* * *

Quite soon after he reached one of the Death Star's many docking bays, Luke's strength gave out from the strain of dragging his father all the way from the throne room and he was forced to lay the giant on the floor. Dozens of Imperial officers and pilots were skittering around in the chaos. Since the deflector shield had apparently been deactivated, explosions rang out everywhere from the Rebellion's persistent attacks. Stubbornly, he dragged Anakin a few yards further towards a battered-looking shuttle only a few yards away. As he helped the former Vader sit up, the older man spoke.

"Luke, help me take this mask off."

The young Jedi shook his head.

"But you'll die."

"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once…let me look on you with my own eyes." With nothing to lose, apparently, Luke hesitantly studied the helmet before removing it, followed by the frontal mask. Underneath was the face of a pale, scarred man: his father. The most feared thing in the galaxy weakly smiled up at him. "Now…go, my son. Leave me."

"No. You're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I've got to save you."

"You already have, Luke. You were right about me. Tell your sister…you were right."

Just then, Vader's sitting form began turning to a dead weight.

"Father…I won't leave you."

Within a single hour, he had won and lost his father.

Broken out of his reverie by the escalating excitement in the bay, Luke determinedly yanked his father's body up the ramp and into the shuttle before going back to fetch the mask. He didn't know why he would retrieve the thing everyone feared and hated, but it just felt wrong to leave it.

Closing the entrance, the boy moved into the cockpit, sat down, and started the engine. As he forlornly fiddled with his pant leg, he felt something brush against his fingers and pried it from the underside of the controls, discovering what appeared to be a transponder. Numb curiosity taking over, he idly reached back underneath. His fingernails found an opening further in…probably for access to wires and such. Inside that compartment, relatively hidden, was a small box…

As a particularly large explosion caused all sorts of objects in the bay to come loose, Luke temporarily abandoned his investigation and took off, setting the object in the copilot's chair. When he flinched from a near-miss, something slipped out of his belt and he took a split second to glance down at the object now on the floor. Somehow, sly Elaina had slipped her ring into his belt before she died…tricky.

* * *

"Zelishka!" a nearby commander exclaimed angrily.

Relin snarled as he continued fixing yet another shorted-out terminal. Plans began running through his mind for ways to make the communication, weapons, and life-support controls more efficient before he halted their parade. Progress would have to wait yet another day.

"Doctor!" the officer cried again. Another executive beat the scientist in reprimanding the pipsqueak.

"Hetter, he just started working on it a minute ago. Give him a break and go find something better to do!" Relin gave the savior a grateful glance before continuing. The other man watched him work for a moment before speaking again, seemingly oblivious to the rocking ship. "Sorry about that. Hetter was just promoted last week and has yet to learn that patience comes with the label."

Zelishka couldn't help but chuckle, even in his moody state, though he complained anyway.

"Don't you have technicians that are trained to be runaround repair boys and girls?"

The officer cleared his throat, but didn't seem fazed, otherwise.

"They're busy dealing with engineering problems."

"The folks down there couldn't solve their own problem, eh? Why am I not surprised?"

He purposefully refocused his listening attention to the com he had recently fixed.

"There it is!" a pilot's voice pronounced.

"All right, Wedge," General Calrissian said. "Go for the power regulator on the north tower."

"Copy, Gold Leader. I'm already on my way out."

After waiting a moment, Admiral Ackbar called out his own orders while little explosions began showing themselves on the Death Star's surface.

"Move the fleet away from the Death Star."

Finished with his repairs, Relin could only watch the occurrences outside through the window. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.

Then, with blinding force, the gigantic craft was eliminated, along with the looming threat the galaxy had known for the better part of Zelishka's adult life. In midst of the cheering, the officer who had just been screaming at the scientist for his 'sluggishness' completely forgot himself and tackled him with a hug.

* * *

"They did it!" 3PO cried when the exploding Death Star lit the early evening sky.

Han and Leia both looked up at the spectacle from bandaging the girl's arm. While the princess continued watching the sky with strange feeling of peace, Han whipped back to look at her, obviously concerned, saying,

"I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew."

She looked at nothing for a moment prior to replying.

"He wasn't. I can feel it."

"You love him…don't you?"

Leia looked back at the man, confirming the obvious.

"Well, yes."

"All right; I understand…fine. When he comes back, I won't get in the way."

Suddenly realizing what the pirate meant, the woman scoffed lightly.

"It's not like that at all." She leaned forward for emphasis when he simply stared, dumbfounded. "He's my brother."

Even when she leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth, it still took a while for the fact to get through Han's thick skull; however, after she pulled away again, waiting patiently, it seemed to hit him as their local friend happily popped up on the other side of the log and he quickly returned the gesture.

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Luke finally managed to land, build a decent funeral pyre, and drag his father's body to the site. When he approached the nearest fire-bearing fur-ball to light his torch, sounds of celebration already rang loud and clear in the forest. As the young man turned away from the local with his new light, he was suddenly met by a tall brunette with a fire in her eyes that was definitely not a reflection of his own flame.

"Kelly!" he exclaimed quietly. "It's good to see you safe."

Not distracted in the least, the aunt went straight to the question he dreaded.

"Where are they?"

The boy did a double-take.

"They?"

"Qui-Gon and Jaylyn! One of our ships detected his fighter on the planet. One way or the other, he should be here! What nerve! Leaving his own mother high and dry."

Luke licked his lips awkwardly, not knowing what to say. He had initially expected her to ask about Elaina. She was her sister, after all! 'They' had made him think of Elaina, plus Anakin. The idea of Qui-Gon and Jay being the main thing on her mind hadn't even dawned on him.

"Uh, maybe, after he rescued Jay, they just wanted some time alone."

The woman emitted a significant 'humph', but seemed satisfied before bemusedly scanning the area.

"So…where are my siblings? I got a funny feeling earlier. My nerves need some settling. Come on! Where's El hiding, this time? This has got to be the worst…"

"Kelly."

The one word made the Jedi freeze, as if her blood had gone as cold as ice. Their locked eyes told more than any narrative could.

"No…no, it can't be," she whispered, tears welling up. In response, Luke gently grasped her arm and led her back to the pile of wood. Her muscles locked again when the torchlight revealed Vader's lifeless body. "Where is Elaina?" Unlike the previous inquiry, which had been nettled and miffed to no end, the voice used in this question was an embodiment of Hoth itself.

Luke considered many ways of telling this woman that her twin was gone, never to return, but nothing fitting came to his lips but the truth.

"The Emperor killed her."

Her eyes blankly wandered for a few seconds until they finally landed on something in particular.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Following Kelly's eyes, Luke retrieved his new lightsaber and handed it to her. Instead of igniting and twirling the device, as would be natural, she just balanced the cold metal in her palm.

"It belonged to my grandfather. Elaina used it before…in the fight and gave it to me…but it's only right that you should have it."

With a mild smile, she handed it back.

"She gave it to you. Besides, what would I do with two lightsabers?"

While shaking his head, Luke remembered the box and grabbed it up from where he had set it on the ground.

"I found this in the shuttle I used to get out of there."

Furrowing her brow at the small metal box with her name written on its top, Kelly took the offering. Instead of opening it, though, she nodded towards the pyre.

"It's chilly. We need a fire."

Getting the point, Luke raised his torch and lit the pile.

* * *

Leia couldn't help but laugh in the joyful atmosphere, especially when Lando arrived, quickly being met by a huge hug from Han, soon followed by Chewie. Only a second later, the girl spied Luke and Kelly on their approach into the light of the giant bonfire and left Han's side to embrace her new-found brother and aunt. The pirate took his turn after her. When the Jedi turned back to her and handed over Elaina's ring, Leia's happiness faltered, but oddly for only a moment. Elaina had told her once, long ago, that her greatest wish would to die fighting for what she believed in. Somehow, Leia knew that the woman had seen what was coming. She could only be grateful that none of it was in vain.

Sensing her slight uncertainty, despite the self talk, Han enveloped the woman in a warm embrace that assured her more than anything else and brought her back to the moment of joy and contentment. Although she enjoyed watching the dancing for a few minutes, Leia soon noticed Luke's lack of enthusiasm as he stood off by himself against a tree, with Kelly by his side.

* * *

Kelly smiled a little sadly at the visions before her. Her father, Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan were all there, but Elaina was not. Was she truly alone? Both Jedi were broken out of their reverie as Leia popped in between them with a smile and pulled them towards the festivities.

* * *

_Clapping to the beat of the music, Lando leaned over towards Luke. He had to speak somewhat loud with the surrounding noise._

"_So, hero boy, where's our other guest of honor. I heard Elaina ran off with you to defeat the ol' Emperor." The glance the boy shot in his direction caused him to pause in mid clap. "Luke, I don't like that look. What's wrong?"_

"_You haven't heard?"_

_That made the general turn his full attention on the Jedi._

"_Somehow, I don't like the sound of that."_

_The boy grimaced._

"_Lando, I was hoping you wouldn't have to hear it from me, but I suppose it's only right…"_

Lando ceased his wandering and redirected his course to a glowing fire that had caught his attention.

"Qui-Gon!"

* * *

Qui-Gon chuckled quietly, even as his distant friend gasped at what was on the fire.

"Qui-Gon, I had no ide…"

The young man cut Lando off with a sharp motion of the hand, but was loath to disturb the silence.

"I heard about Elaina. Sorry 'bout that." He chuckled again when the other man raised a mournful eyebrow. Aside from El being his aunt, everyone knew that he had idolized her… In a nutshell, him acting casual was an obviously unnatural thing. Limply, he brought the ring into the light of the blazing fire.

Another gasp behind produced yet another smirk before his mother touched his shoulder on the other side. Her once composed face was a strange, contorted mix of joy, anguish, relief, and loneliness.

"What in the blazes happened?" she asked, practically squeezing the life out of Qui-Gon's arm as she stared between her son and the continually disappearing corpse of his beloved.

"The man who captured her was working for Vader. When I arrived…I couldn't stop myself. We fought and she died…along with the Ally." He paused, trying to re-leash his struggling emotions and glaring at the silver band. Even before those two had disturbed him, he had contemplated allowing it to join its former wearer in the flames. The pain seemed too much to bear. "We were going to marry after all this was over." He laughed out loud. "…'course, that won't be happening, now."

A sudden laugh escaped from Lando, drawing the others' attention. Another blow weakened Qui-Gon's wall of numbness when the general produced a ring of sky-blue stone from his own pocket. The eyes of the previous mine-owner seemed to glaze over for a moment, as if reliving happier times long gone, before he spoke.

"I was going to ask. I figured a hero's welcome for me after this rat race would be the best time to ask her."

"Interesting way of thinking."

Another silence would have followed, but it was interrupted by Luke's sudden stumbling upon their little group.

"And I thought I was being anti-social," the boy laughed, still giddy from the celebration occurring through the trees. He promptly saw reason for gravity. "Qui-Gon, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," the agitated commander growled, deliberately pocketing the ring.

A few seconds later, something in the shadows caught Luke's eye. When the rest turned to watch him depart, they caught sight of what he was following.

"Um, I should go," Lando then stated, disappearing himself.

His mother finally looked back from where Luke had been swallowed by the darkness.

"What?"

"Nothing," she muttered. "At least someone's taking advantage of the victory."

"What victory? There's no victory in this." He limping motioned to what was now reduced to hot coals.

"Qui-Gon, you can't think like that. The Emperor's dead and the galaxy. We've won!"

His jaw tensed as tears came to his eyes.

"I'm just sorry Jay wasn't here to see it."

"She would want you to be happy. It's over. We can at least be happy about that."

"It's not over," a strange voice announced.

* * *

Kelly whipped around at the slightly familiar voice. Leaning against a tree, the light playing lightly on her face, was a tall, elegant, darkly cloaked, middle-aged Togruta woman. Just behind her was a young, thin, pale red-skinned, lightly dressed female Twi'lek. The apparent padawan merely watched every detail of the scene.

"Ahsoka Tano? Is it you?"

The newcomer smiled solemnly and placed both hands on her hips, revealing a lightsaber: the trademark of a Jedi.

"It's good to see you, Mistress. I wish I could have come under better circumstances, but I'm afraid I have some news that may disrupt your party."

Kelly's reminiscent grin faded into a knit brow as her old apprentice, who was now several inches taller than the brunette, approached the fire. She could see Qui-Gon's mouth hanging slightly ajar from the corner of her eye.

"What are you talking about Legs? The Emperor's dead, the Imperialists are all but scattered to the winds, and the people of this galaxy will soon live in peace once more. What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that it won't last long. The Emperor has a clone."

The other woman blinked rapidly.

"A what?"

"I recently tracked down a small facility used for cloning. There was some sort of tank for suspended animation; it was empty."

"What makes you think that it was the Emperor's clone? If what you're saying is true…we can't have any doubts."

"Between the fancy throne room and the records I found, there can be no doubt. Sooner or later, he will reveal himself."

Kelly stood rigid, staring into the glowing embers. The new information just wouldn't process. Ever the since the Emperor's rise to power, she had been certain that, once Sidious was dead and gone, it would all be over. Obviously, she had been wrong.

Finally looking down at the small metal box in her hand, the woman fingered the etching of her name. It was her last gift from Elaina. She hesitated, though, suddenly overcome with emotion. Never again would she see her beloved sister.

Slowly, she opened the lid and her lips parted at what had been rolling around inside: the ring her husband had given her.

"Whenever you're in need."

Kelly's head shot towards the sound and she saw a flash of long blond hair as a figure simply seemed to disappear into nothing. Her sister seemingly had to speak mysteriously, sometimes, even in death.

* * *

Standing on the edge of the crowd, Luke scanned the sea of bodies in search of one particular body. Just as expected, the nurse stuck out perfectly to him as she went gliding through the crowd. He couldn't see her face, even when she was turned toward the watcher, due to the silky hair draped over her face; however, it was the way she seemed to dance through the people that truly drew his eyes towards the woman. Moving forward, the Jedi began slipping through the crowd, not nearly as gracefully as the girl, in pursuit. The second Larian got past the celebration, he noticed that she went right past and into the dark veil of the trees.

Luke paused in the middle of excited chaos, suddenly unsure. What was he doing? He had seen how romance seemed to always end in heartbreak and agony. He had seen the loss with Kelly and Obi-Wan, Lando and Elaina, Qui-Gon and Jaylyn, and so many others. On the other hand, the happiest he had ever seen any of those inconsolable individuals was with their significant other. There was one ultimate question: Was it worth it?

_"If you listen to no other advice in life, listen to this: heed Kelly's counsel…and love with all your heart. Love is the light which burns brightly in even the darkest shadow of evil."_

The words still rang out in his mind. While they had indeed been the rants of a dying woman, they still answered his question: Yes.

With a sigh, Luke pushed his way past the rest of the crowd after the nurse. Once out of the firelight, he could barely see his upraised hand and it took several minutes of stumbling around in the darkness before he could make out nearly everything in the filtered moonlight…promptly stopping short of another small clearing. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting Larian to do right after finding out that her only family left was dead…he just had not exactly expected to see the strong, beautiful, stoic woman on a stump by herself crying her heart out.

Apparently aware of his less-than-delicate appearance, she looked up. Though black and silvery blond hair still shadowed her lovely features, Luke could clearly see that the slightly haunted, dark eyes suddenly seemed to have opened into a completely different realm of torture. She tore her eyes away the second they made contact to stare at her hands.

"I'm not as strong as Jay was." The broken voice stunned him. "She always protected me. Even when the Empire was knocking down our door, I always felt safe. Whenever she wasn't around, I always got in trouble. Now that she's gone, I…" The hands dropped with despair. "I don't have anyone. I'm…alone."

The tone seemed to strengthen Luke's momentarily flimsy resolve as he bent down and brushed the hair from her face.

"You'll never be alone," the young man whispered, "not if I have anything to do with it." A confused rising of the eyebrows accompanied a sniff. "Larian, I think I know a place that won't have many people, if any. Would you like to get something to drink…eat?" The solemn look remained. "Larian, I've lost loved ones today, too; namely, my aunt and my cousin's fiancé, who happens to be your sister. We need to make sure they didn't die to keep us safe only to have us despair and come to ruin anyway. Will you join me?"

After a moment, she gently took his offered hand, wiping away the tears with her free arm.

"I…I'd like that."

Well, only one chapter to go. Hope enjoyed! Please review and vote!


	41. Return to Innocence: Part 1

Thanks Katie Ladmoore and DragonRider2000 for your reviews!

So, the first scene gives basic information of what has happened since the end of Return of the Jedi and it may seem a random, as we all know how thoughts are.

Due to the shocking length of this chapter, I had to split it into two parts…so, in a sense you get an extra chapter before everything ends.

Michael Andrews' "Mad World" is with scene 1, Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" (should be about four and a half minutes long) goes with scene 3, Wes Carr's "Light Years" is for scenes 7-9…

Return to Innocence: Part 1

Ten years to the day…ten years ago, the Emperor had been defeated. Ten years ago, Anakin Skywalker returned from the dark side and was killed. Ten years ago, Elaina Jinn died by the Emperor's hand. Ten years ago, Jaylyn Erassa was executed by the unwilling hand of her fiancé. Ten years ago, they thought the galaxy was free from tyranny. Ten years ago, they discovered…they were wrong.

These were the things General Kelly Kenobi, one of the leaders of the New Resistance, contemplated while sitting on her cot in her small flagship, the _Mace Windu_. Even with her high standing in the Resistance, the largest space she could be afforded was barely more space than what fit her bed, since she shared a room with three other women. Space was a precious commodity, especially after losing half of their armada in the last major battle.

Only a few months after Ahsoka informed them of the Emperor's clone, the clone had emerged with an army…so massive that even the expanded Alliance was barely able to hold its own against it. More than a decade previously, it seemed, the Emperor had gotten a hold of a Kaminoan cloning facility where he initiated the making of his hidden army. Since then, the Resistance had fought just like before…only this time, the enemy came flooding at them in numbers ranging from a small guerilla attack to an armada of a hundred or more giant ships. The huge Resistance of that time was since reduced to a mere ragged handful of its previous splendor.

Luke Skywalker, his wife of seven years, Larian, and another one of the leaders, Lando Calrissian, were heading their present base on Endor, while Kelly led a vital strike elsewhere. Han and Leia Solo were helping to move some orphaned refugees on the Outer Rim. Only a week prior to this moment, one of their spies had discovered a large bunker from where the new Emperor was arranging another strike. The plan was for Kelly and her crew to slip down to the planet and strike first. If the Emperor clone died, bringing down the new regime would be easy. They just couldn't fail!

"Mistress…" The leader glanced up at the brown leather-clad newcomer before momentarily returning to the study of her hands. They were once lovely hands, but time had made them rough, calloused, and deeply tanned; she could only tell the drastic difference of her skin tone by removing the ring on her finger to reveal the much lighter line of flesh underneath. She wouldn't have had that evidence if Elaina hadn't used a part of her last hours in this life to put it in a box and make certain that Luke would find it. Thinking of rings, when she had discovered that Luke had given Elaina's cherished ring to Leia…well, emotions are funny things.

If Kelly had looked in the mirror at that moment, she knew she would have seen a middle-aged, relatively tall woman with straight shoulder-length, dark brown hair tied in the ponytail, round brown eyes with dark circles below them, and a well-shaped mouth that bore a frown more often than a smile. Her body was well formed and muscular, but thinner than it had once been, as with most of the soldiers. She looked back up, heaving a sigh and standing.

"How many times must I insist that you just call me 'Kelly', Ahsoka?"

The cocky Togruta eyed Kelly up and down, taking in her well-fitting brown sleeveless top, deep green flight pants, black boots, and gun belt with the complimentary pistol and lightsaber.

"You can say it as many times as you want, but it won't change a thing." The general pursed her lips, trying to fight the threatening smile at Ahsoka's stubbornness. "You should smile more often, Mistress. It's becoming."

"Is it time?"

The former apprentice nodded slightly.

"They're all waiting."

With another sigh, Kelly prepared herself to once again have the lives of several dozen fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters in her hands and looked down at her hands one last time. She missed having soft, fine hands.

* * *

"So, just to be clear: we're going to land the ship two miles from the target, covertly approach the facility, and take out the guards quietly. My team will infiltrate the bunker, take out the Emperor, and we all get the blazes out of there. Any questions?"

Across the table, a man in his mid-thirties with shaggy, straight brown hair, soulful brown eyes, black pants, and a loose, brown long-sleeved shirt frowned at the projected map which was the center of attention in the crowded space. He had long taken on the habit of wearing a scarf loosely around his neck to hide the subtle scar from a past suicide attempt. No one who knew him ever even glanced at it for sympathy's sake and strangers took on a similar practice after learning what had caused such despair to befall him. Few could guess on first impression that he was Kelly's second-in-command.

"It's a good plan," the same man replied to Kelly's query, "but how are we supposed to get past those sensors? And how do we know that the Emperor would be so foolish as to just have a few guards at the front door?"

The woman met his eyes.

"We must trust the information our mole gave us, Qui-Gon. We have no other choice. Everything depends on this mission's success. I know I'm supposed to be all positive and full of certainty, but our forces are all but depleted and if we don't finish this now, the galaxy is doomed to permanent slavery. Dismissed!" With that, the group dispersed to continue checking guns and packing medical supplies. "Qui-Gon, can I talk to you?"

"Sure," her son answered, following her into an empty nearby hall. He didn't seem at all intimidated by his mother's serious tone in wanting him alone. He hadn't been afraid of anything, even the things that should have scared him, since Jaylyn's…unfortunate demise.

Once out of the reach of prying ears, Kelly took a moment to do the unthinkable and stare at the loose black scarf, knowing that it was practically the only thing that made him visibly uncomfortable, but also remembering when he had gotten that scar. A year after losing his fiancé and discovering that the galaxy still wasn't free from tyranny, Qui-Gon lost all faith in the hope that they could succeed and had allowed his despair and loneliness to overtake him. Kelly still remembered tracking him down on the forest planet which had held their base at the time and finding him still swinging on a tree by the cord around his throat. She still remembered her panic in cutting him down, unraveling the wire from his bloody neck, and struggling to revive him. It had haunted her dreams ever since…and he hadn't been the only one to lose hope like that. The problem was, her sympathies were very much for his misery.

"Qui-Gon, I need to know that you're fit for this mission."

He blinked, shifting in relief as her gaze left his covered neck and refocused on his face.

"What makes you think that I'm not?"

"Don't play games with me on this, Qui-Gon," she scolded quietly. "This is the Emperor we're talking about. I can't have you losing your head on some whim of revenge. You think you can stay cool enough for this?"

"Perfectly."

The brunette studied his eyes for a moment.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Perfectly."

The man sighed.

"It's been ten years since Jay died." He didn't need to mention their other losses. "Mom, when we were back at the base with Luke, Han, and the rest, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Luke and Larian have their little girl, Kiara, and Han and Leia have Jaina, Jacen, and the baby. I just wish I had stayed on the ship rather than bothering to see them. If Jay was still alive…" He shook his head wordlessly.

"Well, I know all the kids loved 'Uncle Qui'." That at least produced a small laugh. Still, Kelly remembered Qui-Gon's face when Han returned from a small mission and his youngest son, Anakin, had raced into his arms, calling 'Daddy'. That trip had honestly been hard for Qui-Gon. "I'm sorry," was all she could say, but he was waiting for her verdict. "Fine, you can come…but don't get any funny ideas."

* * *

Having already seen her troops properly spread out and her own team overall prepared for the attack, Kelly waited for the last member of her group, glaring at the scientist when he finally came creeping to join her attack team, composed otherwise of Qui-Gon and four other soldiers.

"Relin, what took you so long?"

Zelishka crawled to her viewpoint of the distant bunker still dusting off his jacket.

"Sorry, Kelly. I, uh…tripped," he mumbled.

The general paused awkwardly for a moment before opening her mouth again and turning to face her squad.

"Everyone…I know you all volunteered for this mission, but it'll clear my conscious if I say it anyway. I want to give you one more chance to go join the lookouts."

No one took up the offer, but Relin piped up.

"We're all with you. I just wish I could have seen Jen and Cal one more time."

"Hey, you'll see your wife and son again. I promise you…all of you."

"Thank you, Ma'am," a couple soldiers muttered, nodding.

Only fifteen minutes later, they had taken out the guards and were bracing themselves against the bunker's front doorway. Kelly's calm demeanor was all but gone.

"Zelishka!"

"I'm trying!" he cried, fiddling around with the wires in the panel. "But…it's like the codes we were given are completely void." The woman froze. "I'm trying to bypass it."

They had trusted the source that got those codes. The only way they could have been changed… Her eyes widened and she looked directly at Qui-Gon, who had apparently come to the same conclusion.

"All teams, fall back!" she yelled through her com. "They know we're here. Fall back!"

She realized she was too late when shots rang out near one of her teams in the treeline, promptly followed by another, and another…and another, before the girl was able to completely comprehend how the Imperialists could have known about their presence.

"Relin, unless you want me start hiding snakes in your trousers again," Qui-Gon ground out as they caught sight of a stormtrooper hiding behind a nearby container, "you'll get that door open right now. Where's R2 when we need him?"

Kelly was about to call for the named droid, who was standing by with one of the outside teams, but the inevitable ambush interrupted her for a moment.

"Team Three, do you copy?" she yelled while whipping out her lightsaber to deflect the bolts. "We need R2! Team Three, do you copy?" Only static met her ear. "All teams, report in! How many are hit? Come on, answer!" With her heart dropping into her stomach at the unfathomable losses, the Jedi focused her energy back on making sure that her team didn't join the slaughter. "Relin, we're running out of time. How much longer…?" The words were lost on her lips. The beloved scientist was slumped against the doorway with a smoking gunshot wound on his chest.

"We're sitting ducks here!" cried one of the soldiers just before being taken out herself.

"Mom," her son called, twirling his own lightsaber in defense, "we have to get out of here. There's more coming."

Nodding an affirmation, Kelly started moving away from their hiding spot, ordering her remaining shooters stay behind the two Kenobis before using the Force to fling their dozen or so present attackers out of range and running back towards the refuge of the _Mace Windu_, several dozen more Imperialists pursuing.

By the time they reached the end of their two-mile sprint, only Kelly and Qui-Gon were left tearing through the underbrush as they caught sight of their ship. Clunking up the ramp and slamming the closing button, she leaned down against her knees, coughing and laughing.

"We made it! I haven't had exercise like that since…Qui-Gon!" the woman squeaked. After getting down on his knees to catch his breath, her son's hand came away from his back bloody.

"Mom, I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Go get the ship ready for takeoff." Kelly's flash of pausing skepticism was proven as the man failed to suppress a cough and hide the light spatter of blood that landed on his sleeve. "All right, it's fine. Happy? Can we get out of here before we both get killed?"

Tears shining in her eyes, the general reluctantly complied, running to the cockpit and taking off. Only a little while after the craft jumped into hyperspace, they reached com range with the base. Kelly dreaded informing the command that she had just lost her entire strike force. The information would probably start a tiresome investigation for the mole who had given away their plans.

"Command, this is Freedom Craft One. Come in, please." Puzzled at the lack of a reply, she decided to again. Perhaps the range adaptor invented by Zelishka (poor man) was malfunctioning. "Command, this is Freedom Craft One. Come in."

"This is Command," came the fuzzy reply finally, just as what sounded like an explosion resounded in the background. "Do not return to base. Repeat: do not return."

"What was that? Command, what's happening?"

There was another agonizing pause.

"They found us. Fight on."

"Command, how many survivors are there? Blasted, answer me."

Another explosion.

"May the Force be with you, General Kenobi."

"Command!" Stopping the ship and ripping herself away from the controls, Kelly stormed away to the infirmary, but Qui-Gon wasn't there. "Qui-Gon, where'd you go?" She returned to the main exit and found the body of her son slumped again the wall. "No…"

For the first time in years, the daughter of Qui-Gon Jinn broke down and cried.

* * *

An hour later, Kelly was sitting in the cockpit, staring at the stationary stars. She had lost everything and everyone. They had failed.

Touching her ring, she looked down at it sadly. Was this how all things would end?

_"Kelly…" Her mood lightened by the visitor, she smiled at the ghost's hesitance as she continued her trip to her sister's quarters. "…have you seen any visions lately…of the future?"_

_"Not enough to make any sense out of. Why?"_

_"Oh…I was hoping that __you__ were able to see something of what Elaina's…meddling will do."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Some things that she has done…no, I cannot tell you. Do you remember when you told me about there being statues of us on Naboo?"_

"One statue…molded into more than one figure…"

"_Whenever you're in need."_

Knowing what she had to do, the girl fired up the engine and set a course for Naboo, where one of their smaller outposts was placed.

Just as thoughts of her sister crossed her mind, something strange happened. Her ring began burning slightly before she felt herself being pulled away from reality. An image of her sister, dressed in her clothes from the mission at Jabba's palace, formed in her mind.

"_Hey, Kelly," _the vision offered. _"If you never see this, then I'm still alive and everything is just peachy; otherwise, I'm dead, like I've seen in my visions, and something disastrous enough has happened to make you follow Obi-Wan's hint I gave him to Naboo chasing after something your crazy sister left behind. If this is the case and you are that desperate…I'm so sorry. Forgive me if I'm a bit cryptic here at first, but I needed to make sure SQEAK, the invention Zelishka and I created, didn't fall into the wrong hands. Things could get even worse in that case. Anyhow, we're going to have a little bit of a treasure hunt. I trust your memory is still intact, since I made it so these recordings I have made, as well as SQEAK's power supply, would disappear after twenty years. I hope this bloody recording thing actually works, too, and I haven't been talking to myself this whole time."_

With that Elaina disappeared.

* * *

By the time she reached the beautiful little planet of memories, Kelly was nearly entirely void of emotion. She felt numb.

"Bravo Station, this is Freedom Craft One. Come in, please."

No answer.

After finally landing near the capital and walking to where the post was supposed to be, the Jedi saw the reason for their lack of response: they were gone. Apparently, the Empire had found at least some of their other positions on top of the main base. Instead of a quaint, earth-colored building, there was a fairly large, smoking hole in the ground.

"The shots came from the sky," stated a sweet voice.

Kelly turned to see a pale, brown-eyed girl in her teen years, whose clothing gave her away as a handmaiden.

"Is that so?" the general queried dispassionately, folding her arms.

The young woman cocked her head. Her eyes seemed to dance defiantly. She reminded her of…Padme.

"Yes, that's so." They took a moment to size each other up. "We detected your ship when it dropped out of hyperspace. The Queen wanted me to inform you, General, that the Imperialist leader gave us a message after destroying the outpost: Submit to the Emperor's rule or be destroyed. They gave us three days to decide." The messenger licked her lips. "The Queen needs your advice. She…" She seemed to grudge her words. "She needs your help."

Kelly sighed. She didn't have time for this.

"What's your name?"

"Trinia Naberrie."

A rebellious tear slipped down Kelly's cheek.

"Naberrie?"

"Yes; Queen Amidala was my great aunt."

"No wonder you're so much like her."

"You couldn't possibly have known her." She laughed at her distant relative's stubbornness.

"You look very much like her. You have the same regality, the same feistiness…and the same pure heart. She was a wonderful friend." Realizing how sentimental she was becoming, she broke the softening mood. "Your Queen does not need my advice, but I would like permission to visit the hall of statues."

"You have it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Trinia gasped. "That's another thing you have in common with Padme: whenever there's an excuse, you masquerade as one of your maids. Excuse me."

It took a good fifteen minutes of walking through the quaint walkways of Theed before the brunette finally wandered into a familiar hallway. A good many of the statues were either damaged or completely disintegrated. Luckily, however, the ones she was looking for near the end were still intact, except that Padme's stone hand was broken off. After staring at her best friend's memorial for a minute, she turned around and looked back at the group image. The sculpture still sent a pang through her heart.

Puzzled, she looked down at her ring, removed it, and looked around for evidence of…something…she didn't know what.

"_Whenever you're in need."_

There was something like a small hole in the middle of the statue that could have been mistaken for damage. Uncertainly, she moved to put her ring there and found that it fit perfectly, sticking out halfway. Suddenly, a two-foot hologram of messy-haired Elaina in dark traveling clothes and a cloak appeared.

The slightly flickering image looked around for possible watchers before seeming to gaze directly at her lonely twin.

* * *

Kelly was speechless. Elaina had known for so long that there was a good chance she'd die and she had prepared for it. Just like Obi-Wan, she had known and done her best to prepare her loved ones for it.

"Hello, Kelly," the image addressed her. "Forgive me if this first recording is a bit brief, but I think someone was following me. You should also take precautions to see you're not followed. Don't use the ship you came in. Find a decent fighter that can go into hyperspace for your next stop. For the next clue, we're going to begin at the end. Don't you miss Padme?" As she seemed to reach for the ring in front of her, Elaina looked around suspiciously.

Annoyingly, the transmission was then cut.

Well, at least the first clue seemed easy enough, though the way it seemed like an afterthought would have been passed over by the casual observer. Of course she missed Padme! Now, she needed to go back to where they had lost the beautiful senator.

* * *

Hours later, the seeker had landed in the same docking bay on Polis Massa where Obi-Wan had landed so many years before to bring Padme to safety…or death, rather. Obviously, since the station was nothing but a hunk of metal sitting on a rock floating in space, it was still just as pristine as it had been then.

When Kelly walked into the medical center, memories once again began flowing, but she pushed on and opened the glass door.

_"Obi-Wan…there is still good in him. I know there is…still…"_

_Everyone stared in silent shock. She was gone. The only one that didn't seem completely devastated was Elaina, who said but a few finalizing words._

_"…hope. There is still hope."_

"I hope you know what you're doing, El," the woman grumbled, slipping the ring into a slot she found in the middle of the operating table. As expected, a two-foot image of her sister, again in the traveling clothes, appeared.

"Now that I think I lost whoever was following me, I don't have to panic about time. Anyway, I still don't want the you of my present to worry, so I should get this over with. While this shorter hair thing is great and all, I really miss my long hair. Ah, revenge would be sweet!"

The unsatisfactory message cut short, leaving Kelly once again to chase ghosts.

* * *

The heat that hit Kelly when she jumped out of her fighter was ridiculous! She prayed this time that Elaina's hint was brief, like the others. Thankfully, her twin had seen logic and placed the niche directly in the center of the platform a few feet away from where the Jedi had landed.

"Hello again," the blonde stated. "I know you probably wouldn't like this weather, but I actually find it quite pleasant. Anyway, to lessen your suffering, I'll get to the point. I suggest you visit out relatives. Perhaps the weather will at least prove to be a little more productive, along with the information."

_"I don't know you anymore," Padme cried. "Anakin…you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I can't follow!"_

* * *

"Kelly, you look so tired!" the wrinkled, gray-haired woman cried. The brunette looked around the house as she took the offered seat at the table.

_Following an awkward silence, Anakin broke in,_

_"Have you ever seen a Podrace?" as the Gungan snatched an apple across the table with his long tongue, receiving dirty looks from all three Jedi. Meanwhile, Padme shook her head no._

_"They have Podracing on Malastare," Qui-Gon stated. "Very fast, very dangerous."_

_"I'm the only human who can do it."_

_"You must have Jedi reflexes for that." As if to prove the point, the man caught Jar-Jar's tongue between his fingers as it went for another apple. "Don't do that again," he ordered prior to letting go of the creature's tongue, causing it to snap back into his mouth._

_"You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"_

_"What makes you think that?"_

_"I saw your laser sword. Only Jedis carry that kind of weapon."_

_"Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him."_

_"I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi."_

"Sheleen, do you live alone?"

"…since the orphans were taken to a refugee camp on another planet…they're in a safer place now."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

Oddly, her aunt smiled through the tears which had come to her eyes.

"I had a promise to keep. Now that you're here, I can see Elaina's precaution was wise after all."

"What precaution, Sheleen? All I know is that that I've been hopping planets after my sister's hare-brained clues and I still have absolutely no idea what this 'SQEAK' thing is!"

The other woman's smile brightened significantly.

"She wanted it to be that way. I can't imagine, though, knowing how I would die. She looked like she was carrying such a burden. Poor girl… Anyway, I suppose you're wanting what she left behind for you."

"Yes; is it a hologram device or something?"

"No, just a message: Remember where it all started."

Kelly just stared at the messenger.

"That…that's it?"

"Yes." Sheleen acted like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Did you expect more?"

"Not really," she grumbled.

Suddenly, the woman became excited and earnest, grabbing Kelly's hand.

"Your sister knew what she was doing. Her invention is going to save us all. It'll be like none of this ever happened!"

Where all of it started… There was only one place that would match that description.

* * *

The dark jungles of Aikhibba had grown twice as thick as what Kelly remembered, forcing her to land a mile away from the facility and use her lightsaber to cut through the underbrush before she finally arrived at the fenced area an hour later.

_"It's Kelly-__Fyn__," the younger twin growled before following her sister as she pulled her lightsaber out of its holder. There were three guards in front the gate._

_"On my signal, we take them…no sooner."_

_"Oh please, sis. Of all people, you should know that I stopped taking orders at the age of thirteen."_

_"Unfortunately…"_

_"Now!"_

_Hardly a second later, one guard was dead on the ground with a lightsaber burn across his chest, while the other two were being held against the wall with the Force by Elaina, who was leaning against a tree, still in the shadow of the forest. Her sister, on the other hand, was on the ground by the door with her purple lightsaber out, which caused her tanned face to glow in its light._

_"Show off," Kelly-Fyn scoffed._

_"You're the one who makes this a competition," the other woman pointed out, nearing the door cautiously, her fair skin showing its paleness in comparison with her sister's in the dim light._

"Kelly."

The brunette whipped around in a circle when she heard that whisper.

"Kelly," it called again.

Annoyed, Kelly glared at the trees, one in particular.

_At last finished with her task, Elaina re-covered the machine with a cloak of moss and straightened. Nothing had changed, except that the forest had taken over the clearing and the metal door of the complex was nearly rusted beyond help. The shield generator just outside that a certain Jedi had destroyed to release two renegade girls was still sitting just outside the door. She noted it while backing away to make sure that the site seemed undisturbed. _

_Turning around, she chuckled remembering when Kelly had thrown Obi-Wan into that exact tree when he assumed they were just padawans. Between Obi-Wan's jealousy over still being a learner at…twenty, was it?...and Kelly's pathetic cover for her attraction…_

"All right, dear sister, that's enough flirting. Get him down from there."

"_Those were the days," she whispered._

_Hearing a twig snap, the girl whirled around, suddenly faced by someone most unexpected: Lando._

"_When Kelly said she didn't know where you were, it took me quite a while to track you here," he stated, softly approaching. "I was hoping to get a tour of your home and instead got a tour of the entire galaxy while doing a treasure hunt. It seems I found the prize…but might I ask your reason for coming to such places?"_

_Elaina relaxed and went to give the man a hug. She needed it._

"_Lando…have you ever done something that you couldn't tell anyone about…that hurt you more than anything to do, even though it seemed acceptable before…but it would be better for everyone after it was done…?" _

_She wasn't sure if that made sense, but he seemed to understand._

"_When I first met you, Vader demanded Han, you, and the others in exchange for the safety of my people. Though the deal seemed to just get worse and worse, especially after I got to know you, I had to follow along to a certain point to keep everyone protected."_

"_But your situation didn't involve an entire galaxy."_

With a screech, Kelly flung the burning ring to the ground and looked back up at the tree.

_"I'm sorry, it was hinted to us that you were Jedi," Obi-Wan stated. "You couldn't be more than…well, I suppose Elaina, maybe, but Kelly-Fyn is definitely not older than fifteen!"_

_"We're twins, actually," the dark-haired woman corrected._

_"And how old are you?"_

_"We just turned sixteen a week ago."_

_"Then you must be padawan learners still."_

_During the short dialogue, Qui-Gon and Elaina remained silent and separated, yet clearly amused by the argument._

_"No, we became Knights a year ago, Elaina before me, though."_

_"Prove it."_

_That was a big mistake. With one smooth gesture of the hand, Kelly-Fyn cut Obi-Wan off from the Force, a natural technique only known by the two sisters, and tossed him, unharmed, into a tall tree close by._

_"All right, dear sister, that's enough flirting. Get him down from there," Elaina ordered._

Qui-Gon, her father; Shmi, her mother; Elaina, her sister; Anakin, her brother; Padme, her sister-in-law; Qui-Gon, her son; Mace Windu, her mentor; Yoda, her leader; Ahsoka Tano, her padawan; Palpatine, her enemy; Jar Jar, the fool; Jaylyn, her daughter-in-law-to-be… So many had died. And for what purpose? So that they could bring down the Emperor…only to have him come back again so even more could die?

"Kelly."

"Would you stop that?" the woman yelled into the forest, snatching up the ring and stalking over to the rusted door.

As if by instinct, she went straight to the rusted gate and used the Force to get it open. Right inside the door was a knee-high protrusion on the ground covered in a thick blanket of moss. After scraping off the growth, she dragged the chunk of rectangular metal out into the dim light. The only visible outside access points were a red button and the traditional ring slot. Resigned, Kelly slipped the still-warm piece of jewelry into the hole and was met by a three-foot image of her twin.

"SQEAK: Shmi, Qui-Gon, Elaina, Anakin, Kelly," El said distantly. "Have you put it together, yet, my dear sister? All of this secrecy, this plotting, this invention Zelishka and I created…it has all been for family…our family. After Obi-Wan died, after I was captured by Vader, after these visions started, I knew I couldn't leave until I at least made an effort to fix what I helped to create…what we all helped to create. The laws against love in the Jedi order, our failure to destroy Dooku and Palpatine before they got too far…the price was too much. I made my choice to do my part in changing it all. Now, it's your turn. It's time to make your choice. If you press that button, you will be taking the lives of everyone in your hands. I will be there to help you. If you are seeing this, I have been waiting here for a very long time. I love you, Sis…but the choice is yours."

With nothing to lose, Kelly reached down and pressed the button. Suddenly, she felt like she was being pulled out of her body and into…


	42. Return to Innocence: Part 2

John Williams' "Across the Stars" (should be about five and a half minutes long) is with 2-3, and Enigma's "Return to Innocence" is w/ scenes 4-5…

Return to Innocence: Part 2

_Kelly gasped when she found herself standing in the cockpit of a Nubian ship. In front of her, in the seats, were her father and a sixteen-year-old Elaina arguing._

"_You have to stop me." She twirled to face the door, where the Elaina of later years was standing._

"_El!" the brunette cried._

"_They can't see us."_

"_Then, what am I supposed to do?"_

"_Do you ever remember feeling like someone was compelling you to do something…a subconscious voice? This is your chance to be that voice."_

_Kelly looked back at the scene unfolding before her._

_"What would you know of it?" __the tower of Qui-Gon queried."__The Council should not be so strict about the petty tail ends of the Code."_

_"I knew that you occasionally questioned the will of the Council, but I am surprised by this, Qui-Gon!" the younger Elaina snipped. "If Anakin became a Jedi and his emotions overthrew him, then who would feel the guilt?"_

_"I would."_

_"No, the Council would, because they allowed it in the first place."_

_Kelly took the opportunity and bent down near Elaina's ear, whispering,_

"_El, don't leave him thinking that you don't care."_

_She was ignored. Several minutes passed before Elaina stood and walked towards the door, pausing to say a few words to finalize the argument._

_"Just because he is your child does __not__ make him perfect, Qui-Gon. You, of all people, should know that."_

"_Elaina," Kelly persisted, "don't do something you'll regret. Please!" The blonde ignored her, walked right by, and went through the door. "You'll never get another chance!" Oddly enough, the door reopened and the girl came back, leaning against the doorway. Qui-Gon twisted around in his seat. _

"_Listen…I'm sorry I have been such a pain in the you-know-what. Just…having you back in my life has been…difficult, to say the least."_

_The father nodded prior to replying._

"_I'm sorry as well…for not being there."_

_Elaina smiled slightly._

_Suddenly, the scene shifted. Kelly was standing in her twin's room on Coruscant. Both Jedi were sitting on the bed. It was ten years later. Again, her ghost of a sister was beside her._

"_Why here?" the taller woman asked._

_The other mirage cocked her head._

"_This is where our conflict over Obi-Wan began: with a deal. Don't let me make that deal."_

"_Why are you trying to perfect yourself? __I__ was the one who ruined everything!"_

_Elaina only shook her head thoughtfully and looked up to their alternate selves._

_"__What about Obi-Wan? I've noticed over the years that I'm not the only one eyeballing him."_

_A long pause was temporarily the only reply she received. Then, Elaina opened her mouth. Still, no sound came for a moment. She seemed to be fighting a battle with herself of some sort. Whichever side won, an answer finally came, but not the one Kelly-Fyn wanted to hear._

_The older Kelly sat down guiltily beside her young sibling, saying,_

"_El…" With an idea suddenly coming to mind, she focused on her own memories on the fight on Mustafar, as well their other conflicts surrounding Obi-Wan. The younger woman flinched, but seemed to ignore the terrible thoughts._

_"__The laws…"_

_"__The laws can go eat bantha fodder for all I care…"_

_"__Kelly!" _

_"__Well, it's true, El! Now, however you may lecture me about 'laws' and 'regulations' of the order, feelings can't be helped, no matter how strict we are. Both of us are completely infatuated by that one silly Jedi, he can't even imagine."_

_"__Fine, fantasizing for moment…yes, ok, you win…"_

_"__I knew it…question is, what are we going to do about it?"_

_"__What do you mean? We can't do anything about it."_

_"__Oh yes, we can. El, I'm not the one who hung onto every word of those history classes and even I know that it's been done before without absolutely horrible consequences…sometimes, it even had a good outcome."_

_The time traveler again spoke, pushing through the memories with more apparent effect._

"_Give him up. You know deep down that he loves her. Imagine what could happen with that scenario. You've always been cautious. Don't ruin your life for this."_

_The past Elaina licked her lips, hesitating for a moment before she replied to the question._

"_No. I…I just have a gut feeling that he…" Her head bent down. "I think he… I don't know how, but I believe he loves you. You should learn to be more observant."_

_In a flash, the scene changed again. Gunshots with flying by and through the adventurer as the Battle of Geonosis progressed._

_

* * *

_

_Several minutes later, there were only about twenty Jedi clumped together in the middle of the arena, Aayla included, and the attackers unexpectedly ceased firing. Then, Dooku babbled on about Windu, recognition, surrendering, and all the other usual…stuff. Of course, Windu turned down the offer instantly, resulting in guns once more being aimed at them._

_"Look!" Padme abruptly noted, motioning to the sky. Several gunships appeared out of nowhere and began firing on the surrounding droids, recommencing the shoot-out. A moment later, the surviving Jedi were given the chance to board a few of the ships. Suddenly feeling the need for some extra insurance, the brunette snatched a rifle from one of the dead robots before jumping on one with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme._

_"Elaina, come on!" Kelly called from her new post; however, the older girl ignored her sister's summons and followed Windu to the craft carrying Master Yoda._

_Explosions rung out everywhere and orders were thrown around for quite some time until Obi-Wan called out,_

"_Look over there."_

"_It's Dooku!" Anakin cried. "Shoot him down!"_

_Kelly stared at her pistol. Somehow, it seemed foreign in her hand._

"_We're out of ordinance, sir," the clone pilot pointed out._

"_Follow him!"_

"_We're going to need some help," Padme objected._

"_No, there's no time," the older man argued. "Anakin and I can handle this."_

_Padme almost fell just then, but Kelly somehow managed to catch her and her own self at the same time._

_Casually, then, she trained her gun on the fleeing Count and fired. When the escapee fell off his speeder like a fly smashed on a wall and the escorts kept going, with nothing to protect, her companions turned back in shock. Obi-Wan opened his mouth first._

"_Or we can just shoot him with a rifle. Why didn't any of us think of that?"_

_Laughing, Anakin walked over to Padme and gave her a celebratory kiss. Kelly happily did the same with Obi-Wan._

_SSSSS_

_They had just gotten back from the Battle of Geonosis a week before. Yes, Dooku was gone, but they still had certain problems that needed to be solved. Only an hour before, Kelly had asked her to do something that potentially could change a very key aspect of the Jedi order. Sitting in her new council seat, Elaina sighed, resigned._

"_On your mind something is?" Yoda queried as a discussion closed._

_The blonde licked her lips._

"_Master, I know I was just raised to the council recently, but…there something that I think needs to be discussed…something that needs to be changed or Jedi will become all but extinct."_

"_And what is that, Elaina?" Windu offered, seemingly open to suggestion. Now would be the time she would test their trust in her._

"_I think we need to consider revoking the part of the code which restricts something that has always been necessary…something that has saved many lives in the past and always will: love."_

_

* * *

_

_Tears coming to her eyes, the whisperer, Kelly, watched as one last scene appeared before her. She was facing a window towards open space from an apparently large ship._

_Elaina stood staring out the window of the giant ship next to incarcerated Chancellor. Of course, she knew his bonds were just for show; the two guard droids on her other side, however, were not._

_"Oh, don't play games with me. You know that I would not hesitate to destroy all their lives." His voice was obviously kept calm with great effort._

"_You wouldn't," she hissed in return._

"_Never underestimate a Sith," he challenged._

_Just then, the door at the top of the stairs opened, revealing Anakin and Obi-Wan. Sidious was still waiting for an answer. Obi-Wan…Padme…Yoda… Scowling at the man one last time, Elaina turned around and marched out with the guards trailing her._

_Hours later, she had been rescued._

_Kelly tried rushing to the controls, but Anakin beat her to it, so she settled on standing behind him._

_"All escape pods have been launched," her youngest companion pointed out. With that, the young woman looked for her sister. Elaina turned out to be sitting behind one of the control center, looking very glum. Still twirling her lightsaber between her fingers, she looked up towards Kelly, a tear silently sliding down her cheek. It utterly surprised the younger girl that she wasn't cringing at the constant jerks of the ship and orders from Anakin to Obi-Wan in the copilot seat._

_Sliding down to her twin's level, Kelly looked at her straight in the eye._

_"What happened to you?"_

_Parting her chapped lips in surprise, Elaina whispered in reply,_

_"What are you talking about? I was just kidnapped and interrogated by a Sith lord and you're asking what happened to me?"_

_"Alright, let's take this a step back. How did you get here…on this ship?"_

_"I was visiting the Chancellor…"_

_"What? Why would you do that? I thought you hated the Chancellor."_

_"Kelly…please don't! I do not need this right now."_

_The traveling Kelly bent down again._

"_Tell her," she said. "Tell her what happened. You know the Chancellor won't keep his word. He's evil. Evil has no truth."_

_Elaina bounced up after her twin._

"_Wait!" The others turned around to listen. "The Chancellor is the Sith lord!"_

"_What?"_

"_I have proof."_

_Relieved, the traveler sat down, thinking that it was all over. Frighteningly, the scenery flashed once more. Obi-Wan, Kelly, Anakin, Padme, and Elaina were in the Jedi temple, walking down the halls._

"_What is this?" the entrepreneur growled, rounding on her ghost of a twin, who was watching the scene contentedly. "I don't remember this!"_

"_That's because it never happened. I thought you might like to see the fruits of your labors. Take a closer look."_

_Kelly did. Everyone was a year or so older than in the last flash, but that wasn't the shock. The two couples were walking arm-in-arm __openly__. Jedi passing by didn't even give it a second glance. Three babies claimed an arm each of Padme, Anakin, and Kelly._

"_Can I hold her?" El asked getting closer to Padme's right arm, where Leia was settled._

"_Sure," the senator said, grinning. "She's getting heavy, anyway." The smile that graced the taker's lips was precious._

"_You should consider getting yourself a husband, El," Kelly put in, earning a stuck-out tongue from her shockingly relaxed sibling. "You can have one of your own."_

_Before her eyes could wander to Obi-Wan, the older girl bent her head down to kiss the baby in her arms, causing the golden, hip-length hair with at least a hundred tiny braids to drape down over her face._

"_Kelly." The invisible woman turned back to her companion. "Wake up."_

_Kelly's brow furrowed._

"_What?"_

"_Wake up."_

* * *

"Kelly! Come on! You're going to miss it!"

"What…miss what?" the woman groaned blearily opening one eye to see that she was in a small, soft bed in a room which apparently belonged to a wooden house. Pictures and other little mementos lined the walls. Standing eagerly above her was a young girl of about ten.

"Aunt El! She's coming! And I hear she's bringing a new beau with her."

"And tell me, Cass, do you know who this new beau is?"

Kelly was completely confused. She had never seen this girl in her life, yet the name just rolled off her tongue.

"No, but Mama says he's really nice and runs a mining place. He used to be a gambler or something, just like Han."

The man must have been…the name just wouldn't come.

A new face peeked through the door.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Jaylyn began. "I see my little girl finally got tired of waiting for you. You don't wanna still be in bed when the others get here, do you?"

"Not at all," Kelly stated.

Once she was dressed, the brunette went outside to clear her mind, but there was nothing to clear by the time she stepped out the door and looked around.

"I like what you've done with the place," she said, looking at her son, who replied with a smile, still kicked back on the bench against the house.

"Yeah. Listen, Mom. I'm glad you were able to come a day early. We haven't had much time to chat in a while."

"Me too. So, I'm assuming Jay got time off from teaching at the academy?"

"Uh-huh. The bumbling nurses can survive without her for a few days. I must say though: I'm very happy they chose to start that little doctor school on Naboo. The kids love it here."

Laughter came ringing over the hills, followed by their owners, who quickly came trotting down the incline, sopping wet.

"What happened here?" Jay screeched, coming out of the somewhat large, vine-covered house with a giggle, following by an also laughing Padme.

The elderly Obi-Wan, Anakin, Luke, Larian, Kiara, and little Obi stopped in front of the house, panting, but the eldest spoke for them, buoyant in contrast to his age.

"Sorry, darling, but we were at the falls and Obi splashed Kiara, then Kiara splashed Anakin, and so on and so forth."

While all the women were still shaking their heads, a call caught their attention.

"They're here!" her grandson cried, running towards the sound as several figures came into sight. Everyone was quite happy with the family reunion at last at full tilt with Han, Leia, their kids Jaina, Jacen, and Ani, Aayla Secura, Ahsoka Tano, Elaina, and her 'new beau'.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my fiancé…" Mock teasing whistles resounded. "…Lando Calrissian."

"I know Qui-Gon would be proud," Obi-Wan stated, cutting through the laughter. "They both would."

They all solemnly nodded in agreement to the reference to Elaina and Kelly's long-dead parents.

As the group moved into the house for breakfast, Kelly stayed behind a moment, for some reason marveling at the surroundings until her eyes reached her hands. They were fine, soft hands…but that was nothing strange. They had always been fine and soft.

* * *

The aged Masters Yoda and Windu sat thoughtfully in the ancient library of the temple. Many years had passed since the restoration a peace in the galaxy, yet they still had not deciphered the prophecies which they had thought were about Anakin, Kelly, and Elaina bringing balance to the Force through great trial and pain. None of it had happened the way they thought. Dooku had been quickly eliminated before he could cause too much damage, leaving Palpatine high and dry so that he was quickly found out by Elaina and brought down. While Anakin had played a key part in all of this, his role hadn't nearly been as drastically larger than the twins' as they had imagined.

The only thing they were certain of was that something had been changed. Both Masters had recently deciphered mutual dreams from the past, but nothing made sense because none of it had happened.

"I don't understand," Mace said softly, squinting his eyes so that the creases showed even more. "It's as if we were saved from walking off a cliff we didn't know was there. We both saw visions of the Skywalker family falling into darkness and dragging the galaxy with them, yet they have flourished into quite a large brood."

The little green Jedi hummed in agreement.

"Strange this is…but fortunate."

"But we were so convinced that the Prophecy was clear that Anakin was the Chosen One, that he and his sisters would save the galaxy…and the dreams made it seem as though they would fall."

Yoda chuckled, shrugging his shoulders comically before floating in his chair towards a group of younglings.

"A prophecy misread could have been. Thankful we must be."

Peace reigned.

Thanks for reading and please review and vote! I hope you enjoyed reading this as I have writing it. The story is very close to me. Thank you to all of my reviewers for their marvelous support, suggestions, and questions.

In a couple of weeks, I should be getting to my Narnia story, _Forever Yours: The Warders' Chronicles_. Stay tuned!

Dedicated to 'Kelly'.


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